IELTS Speaking Band 9 Clear Answers - Ukraine

 Reference : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4udSGtJ6Bhg&ab_channel=AcademicEnglishHelp

What is your full name?

My full name is Alyona Solovyona, but you can call me by my first name Alyona. 

Where do you live?

I live in Odessa. Odessa is a coastal city along the Black Sea, and I live in a studio apartment not far from the water. 

What is your favorite sport?

My favorite sport is swimming. I usually swim when it's warm outside & in colder months. I prefer to go to the local pool. 

Let's talk about shoes. Do you prefer trendy or comfortable shoes? Why?

Well, I think trendy and comfortable are not mutually exclusive things, and I think that comfortable shoes can also look good. You can walk the whole day looking good and having no discomfort. 

Can you easily find your shoe size in stores?

I am lucky to have an average women's shoe size. My size is 6 and I don't have any difficulties to find a shoe size. 

What kind of shoes do you usually wear and why?

I usually wear clogs and loafers, and this allows me to be elegant and comfortable at the same time. I wear this shoes from five to six times a week, and in colder months, I prefer to wear boots and these boots will keep my feet warm and look good.

Do you spend a lot on shoes?

I have to admit that I do, I can spend an average of 1000 hryvnias a month on shoes easily. but I just recently got a new pair of shoes that cost me around 3500 hryvnias. 

Have the kind of shoes you wear daily changed over the past 10 years ?

I think so, yes, since I have grown into adulthood over the past decade and I work now. my shoes became more expensive and they look nice. I used to wear sneakers more often when I was studying at the university. 

If you could buy any pair of shoes in the world, what would they be ?

Given the chance, I would love to get a white kitten heel shoes. They are not only looking good but also pretty unique. I would love to have a pair, but they can be really hard to come by. 

___________________________________________________________________________________

Talk about a person you had to be friendly with but you didn't really like.

- Who was this person?

- When did it happen?

- Why you had to be friendly and why you don't like him or her?

- What did you think about it later?

You will have one minute to prepare what you are going to say.

You will have one to two minutes to speak.

___________________________________________________________________________________

I clearly recall having to be friendly with my professor of science, Mr. Sidorov, even though I didn't really much like him. He was a stout man with a big belly and thick glasses. and I loathed him because I always felt he was unfair to students. He would give pop-up quizzes with information we were not prepared for, also, he was biased. He favored students who liked him & I saw that it would be a good idea if I would pretend to be friendly with Mr. Sidorov. especially during my final year, I had to have a big presentation on my final topic. and it would greatly impact my overall GPA and overall grade point average should be 95%, but I thought it would be a good idea to be nice with Mr. Sidorov so that he would put a good grade on this final exam. Even though I didn't really much like Mr. Sidorov, I would often compliment him for his smarts and good ideas. And in the end of the year. I gave a 20-minute presentation about environmental impact of the greenhouse effect it causes and fortunately, my attitude and my presentation were well received and I got an overall score of 90%. I was really happy with that. On hindsight although I didn't express my true feelings to Mr. Sidorov, I think I did a right decision for my future. At the end of the day. My post-secondary studies are way more important than relations or expressing my true feelings to professor, who I may never see again in my life. 

  

If you met Mr. Sidorov of today, would you still be friendly with him?

Oh yes, absolutely. I don't see any reason that I should be rude to him. In the end of the day, he passed a lot of knowledge to me, and I'm really grateful for that.  

Let's talk about being friendly. Do you think it is necessary to be friendly? 

I think so, yes. Humans are social creatures and to be friendly is one of the life- very crucial life skills nowadays and people are stronger when they work together. That's why being friendly is a really helpful thing just like me with Mr. Sidorov. 

What are some ways that people express friendly behavior?

There are several ways you can express the friendly feelings towards others. some of these ways are being polite, smile, asking questions, giving gifts and being friendly also means you are interested in person not only saying "Hi" and being nice to person. 

Is there a difference between being friendly and polite behavior?

I think so, There is a clear distinction between courteous and friendly demeanor. being polite simply means saying "Hi", "thank you" & greeting people and being friendly is a little bit more than that. You have to show that you are interested in-person and pay attention and spend time with the person, even if you don't really have much time.

How important is it to be friendly in your work or school?

I think it is important to be polite at work. but not necessarily friendly. I mean, I do have friends that I hang out with at my work, but I wouldn't go out of my way to make friends if I'm not interested. 

Some people pretend to be friendly when in fact. they are not. why do people do this?

Just like me with Professor Sidorov. I had to be friendly because I wanted to put myself in a more favorable position, and I noticed that people are usually friendly with authotiries and when they want to avoid some sort of trouble. I'm surprised at the level of friendliness people express when they talk to a policeman or their boss. They seem to want to get away with trouble. 

is it a good idea to ask a person directly what you want ?

I think nowadays it is a valuable thing to get to the point because everyone is rushed, and to speak about myself. I will appreciate if people get to the point directly and don't beat around the bush.