Part of the ielts speaking Test Yourself 13 Reading Your Family 14

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74
Part 1
of the IELTS Speaking Test
1
Yourself
13
Reading
2
Your Family
14
Writing
3
Your Hometown
15
Newspapers
4
Your Home
16
TV and Films
5
Your Studies
17
Computers
6
Your Work
18
Nature
7
Food
19
Pollution
8
The Weather
20
Traveling
9
Your Hobbies
21
Languages
1 0
Sports
22
Festivals
11
Music
23
Going Overseas
12
Shopping
24
Your Future
DON’T FORGET
：
Be yourself.
Develop your answers
．
Give details
．
Don’t be boring
！

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75
1 Yourself
1. What is your full name please?
I
’
m Tang Xiaojiao, but you can call me Jenny. That is my English name and I chose it
a long time ago.
2. How do I spell your last name please?
(Last name = surname = family name. Be careful!)
It’s Tang, T A
-N-G.
3. Does your Chinese name have a special meaning?
Yes, it does. My first name Xiaojiao means
“
little crying.
”
，
guess that when
，
was a
baby I used to be pretty loud.
My parents chose to call me Xin Zhang, and it’s a pretty common name. Xin means “
heart
”
and Zhang means "articles", you know,
“
essays.
”
My folks ( = parents) wanted me to be smart and
well-read, you know, knowledgeable. They put a lot of pressure on my
shoulders with this name
．
My name is Yaning.Ya means that I am the second child of the family, and Ning means
“
silence.
”
I guess that when I was a child I used to be very calm.
4. Do you like your name? And will you change it in the future?
I quite like my name, Xiaojiao, and there is no need for me to change it. My name is very
unique. I don’t think that anyone else in China was
ever given the same first name. My father really
wanted to be original. My name is who I am. It’s part of my identity, and it’s
meaningful to me
．
I like my name because of its meaning, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Although my
name is very common in China, I got used to being called Yaning, and changing my name now
would just .be weird (= strange).

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76
5. Why do some people change their names?
Well, most probably because they simply dislike them. They might not be happy with
the way they sound. Actually, I have heard of some people who have changed their names
because they did not match their feng shui, you know, the belief that you can receive positive
energy from different things
．
It’s an ancient Chinese thing. In my country, a name could
bring you good fortune. It’s all about destiny. Personally, I have never met anyone who has
changed their name, only in movies when some people need to create a new identity for
themselves, or a new life to escape from a horrible situation in their past.
6. Very good, thank you. Miss Tang, when were you born?
I was born in 1991
．
My birthday is on December the 3`d. This year I am turning 20.
7. Tell me a few things about yourself.
Okay, no problem. I was born in a small town in Fujian Province, about 300 kilometers
north of Fuzhou. I was raised there until the age of 18 when I moved to Fuzhou to attend
university. I am currently studying accounting, and I have another two years to go before
I get a Bachelor’s degree. I am sitting in front of you today b
ecause I intend to continue
my studies in Australia, possibly next year. As far as my hobbies go, I like listening to
music and exercising
．
I enjoy jogging and playing badminton with friends
．
I am a little
shy depending on the situation, but I can also be very talkative when I hang out with my
classmates.