When do people normally give gifts in your country?
For example, in my home country, Colombia, people often give gifts during Christmas time or on birthdays. On both occasions they exchange gifts according to their personality or lifestyle. There is also an exchanged of flowers for Valentine's day as a way to show your affection and appreciation for another person.
Do you think that gifts should be expensive?
Gifts should not be expensive; a gift is something that someone wants. No one needs an expensive gift, no matter who they are or what the occasion is.
There are many times when people feel obligated to buy expensive gifts but that's not always necessary or wise given the factors involved.
To determine if you want to spend money on a more expensive gift, ask yourself these four questions:
- Am I buying for my spouse/partner/friend/ family member?
- Does this person seem hard to shop for lately?
- Do I want this person to feel bad about having spent less on me?
- Is this present really special
Have you ever made a gift by yourself and given it to somebody?
Yes. I once made a starry night painting and gave it to my mom as a gift. It was during the holidays, and I missed her, so I wanted to say "Merry Christmas". And that's just what she said when she unwrapped it!
It was pretty easy to do - all I needed were the pens and paper we had laying around the house before drawing it. Anyone could do it or something similar in their spare time?
How would you choose a gift if you had to give one to somebody?
I would ask them what they like or pick a theme so that it matches their interest. For example, asking if they prefer cookbooks, coffee table books, small trinkets with sentimental value, etc. A couple of my recent gift ideas included:
- candles
- scotch whiskey glasses
- coffee beans (exotic or local) and grinder
- cookbook of their favorite meal
- movie ticket to their favorite movie type
IELTS Speaking Test Part 2
Describe what you do to stay fit and healthy
You should say:
- what you do
- how often you do it
- who you do it with
and explain why you think staying fit and healthy is important.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 2
Describe an activity you do to stay healthy
There are a couple of things I do to stay healthy; the first is regular exercise, and the second one is I eat well. I generally make sure I walk for about 30 minutes each day, usually first thing in the morning.
I usually go for a brisk walk or a run around the park near where I live because it’s nice early in the morning when the air is fresh and there are not too many people about. It takes me about 30 minutes.
I also go to the gym maybe three or four times a week and do plyometrics, weight training, and other cardio exercises on a regular basis. Also, my friend is really into yoga and so sometimes I join her in her classes.
They’re really relaxing and it’s a nice change of pace from the gym. I also do some other activities such as swimming and biking when/ the weather is nice or with other friends.
My diet is very clean; I don’t eat any fatty foods or highly-processed foods. I sometimes track my calories but not always because I already have a fair idea of what I consume each day and how many calories I burn off doing exercise and just getting through the day.
Most of my food is whole foods; I avoid a lot of starchy foods and foods high in sodium, and generally stick to chicken and fish, with occasional red meat. I eat a lot of salad and I love cucumber and a lot of other vegetables such as broccoli.
I usually have a well-balanced diet every day, which allows me to have the odd cheat meal or treat when I feel like it. I actually enjoy eating healthy and don’t miss out on enjoying food because I can eat anything I want if I want to – I just choose not to indulge in calorie-dense foods very often though.
And those are the main activities I do to stay fit and healthy. Of course, I try to get enough sleep and not get too stressed out either, but on a daily basis it’s down to my diet and regular exercise mainly.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 3
How should children be educated about the importance of maintaining good health?
Children need to learn that we all play a role in our health. Yes, they should be informed of the risks of smoking, eating junk food, and not being active, but they also need to appreciate the power their choices have over their health.
The beauty of teaching children about maintaining good health at an early age is that it totally helps lay down healthy habits for life and cultivates a sense of responsibility for their bodies - which will be necessary as they get older when bad habits can start to really catch up with us.
How can governments play a role in this?
Some people believe that the more kids know about something - peer pressure, body image and sexuality, drugs, alcohol or health - the better off they will be.
I don't agree. The best thing we can do for children is to give them a safe home life with loving parents who care enough to teach their kids just by being there.
Kids need guidance grounded in honesty and trust. And because this kind of communication doesn't come easily to everyone, governments should offer classes on parenting skills and sexual education wherever parents would find it convenient.
What are the negative impacts, if any, of technological advances on the lifestyles of people nowadays?
It's the onslaught of chronic stress in the system that may be causing us to age more quickly .
Being on social media and working later at night has affected how we sleep. We need proper sleep cycles for our bodies to operate at their highest level, and we're sleeping much less than ever before. Studies have even found that just one week of good sleeping drastically improved daily functioning.
Failure to take into account everything from night-time temperature fluctuations to light exposure patterns can lead to problems like exhaustion, interrupted sleep cycles, and depression; which all keep your metabolism running low.
Technology has made our lives so much easier and more productive in certain ways, but it could also be isolating us from real life interactions and experiences.
Technology is advancing at lightening speed, with an endless selection of software, gadgets, smart phones and tech that inevitably disrupts our routines.
While there's no question that technology can make a person's life in many instances much easier (at times mindless), humankind has failed to take care of the earth.
In other words, we're killing ourselves by using too many plastic bags and trashing our air for yet another generation. If you come back in ten years the world will look vastly different than what it does right now.
Should unhealthy products be banned? If so, then how?
If the unhealthy food is addictive, in addition to dieting and exercise intervention may be needed.
Going on a fasting detox when one has eaten excessively for a long time could work in this situation (along with healthy food).
Some people need professional psychological or medical help to overcome addiction to something like sugar, ice cream, etc.
Traditional banning of unhealthy foods wouldn't work as well if not accompanied by appealing alternative means of revamping eating habits.
In other words, better-tasting healthier alternatives are way more likely to result in permanent changes than just some kind of draconian ban on McDonalds fries every now and then.
How can people become more aware of the implications of eating unhealthy food?
People can become more aware of the implications of eating unhealthy food by understanding the effect on health and wellness.
Diets low in nutrient-dense whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts are linked to high blood pressure which is a ticking time bomb for our circulatory system.
For people with pre-existing conditions like diabetes or hypertension (or those at risk of developing chronic diseases), a diet rich in plant-based nutrients is essential for quality patient care.
Plant-based nutrition has been reported to significantly reduce hospitalizations and complications from heart disease as well as significantly lower cholesterol levels.
I think people just need more clear evidence that unhealthy food can kill you!