Model Answers By Topic
11. Childhood
SPEAKING
PART 1
1. Did you enjoy your childhood?
Yes, when I look back on my childhood I remember a mostly carefree and happy time.
2. What is the first thing you remember about your childhood?
The first thing that comes to mind is a birthday party when I was very young. I remember seeing all the party balloons and being filled with wonder.
3. What did you like doing when you were a child?
One of my favourite activities was playing in the local woods. My friends and I would play games like hide and seek, or build camps using sticks and branches. We didn’t have any adults supervising us, so it was a lot of fun.
4. Did you grow up in a city, town or village?
I was raised in a small town in the suburbs. It was a peaceful and quiet place to grow up, with lots of green spaces and fresh air.
5. What was your favourite toy?
My favourite toy when I was a child was a stuffed elephant that my grandparents gave me for my birthday. I used to carry it around and even took it to bed with me every night.
6. Did you like going to school?
Yes, most of the time I enjoyed school. The discipline at my school was quite tough, but I liked most of the school teachers and had several friends in my classes.
7. Did you have a best friend when you were a child?
Yes, my best friend was called John. We met in primary school and we were inseparable. But, we went to different middle schools and grew apart, and eventually I lost touch with him.
8. How much time did you spend with your grandparents?
I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was a child. They lived in the same town as us, so they would often babysit me and my sister when we were little or watch over us when my parents went out.
Listen to Speaking Part 1 Model Answers:
PART 2
Describe a happy childhood memory.
You should say:
when and where the event happened
who you were with what happened
and explain why it is a happy memory
Model Answer:
One of my fondest childhood memories is a family holiday we took to the beach when I was about 10 years old. It was during the summer holiday and we went to a beach town in the southern part of my country.
I was with my parents, and siblings. We stayed in a cosy bungalow by the beach with a beautiful view of the sea. The weather was nice all week, which is unusual in my country. We spent most of our time on the beach, building sandcastles, exploring rock pools, playing hide-and-seek and paddling in the sea.
I look back with nostalgia on this trip because it was a carefree time which I spent with my whole family. We laughed a lot, played together, and it was an adventure too. At the time, the beach was a magical place for me, and I was filled with wonder by the crabs, jellyfish and other strange creatures there. My parents let my brother, sister and I run around and have a lot of fun, and even though they were obviously watching over us, they weren’t strict so we felt very free.
Listen to Speaking Part 2 Model Answers:
PART 3
1. How does your childhood influence what kind of person you become?
I think that your experiences in childhood can make a big difference to the type of person you become. If you are raised by caring parents who make an effort to help you develop and teach you the right way to behave, as well as help you to learn the emotional skills that you need, you are much more likely to turn out as a happy and well-adjusted adult.
2. Should children be allowed to spend a lot of time watching TV or playing computer games?
Well, when I was a little kid, I loved to play computer games, but my parents were quite strict and I was only able to play them during the school holidays. During the school term time I couldn’t play and I hardly ever watched TV either. When I look back I realise it was a good thing for me as it meant that I spent all of my free time outside and was much more active.
3. Is it important for grandparents to help raise their grandchildren?
I think it really depends on a few factors. Firstly, if they live nearby it’s much easier for them to babysit when parents go out or watch over kids when they’re playing. Secondly, the age of the grandparents is important. If they are already very elderly, it may be very tough for them to look after toddlers. Finally, it depends on how busy they are. Some grandparents are still working, so in this case it would be hard for them to help a lot with grandchildren.
4. Is it important for children to have role models?
Yes, of course, positive role models are crucial for kids when they are growing up. It helps kids a lot if they can look up to an adult who shows them how to behave and act appropriately. I think kids who have good role models tend to be more happy and well-adjusted.
5. Are more children spoilt now than in the past?
I’m not entirely sure, but possibly. I don’t have kids, but it sometimes seems like too many parents coddle children these days. I often see kids throwing tantrums and the parents don’t know what to do. Maybe there’s too much pressure on parents to nurture their kids, and they just don’t know how to discipline them.
6. When does a child become an adult?
That’s a good question. Legally someone becomes an adult in most countries when they are 18 but many kids don’t leave the family home until they’re much older. Often children are dependent on their parents until they’re at least 21 and don’t really become mature adults until even later.
Listen to Speaking Part 3 Model Answers:
WRITING
GENERAL TEST WRITING TASK 1
You are looking for a part-time job at a children’s summer camp. Write a letter to the manager of the summer camp.
In your letter:
introduce yourself
explain what experience and special skills you have
tell him/ her when you think you could start
Model Answer:
Dear Sir or Madam,
My name is Jacob Rees and I am writing in response to an advert I saw for a part-time job at your summer camp. I am a 23 year old university student and I would very much like the opportunity to work at your camp this summer during the university holiday period.
I am a hard-working, responsible and organised person and I believe I am a good fit for this position because not only do I get on well with kids, but I am very keen on sport and outdoor activities too. I am currently studying sports science at Liverpool University, and am passionate about athletics, rock climbing and swimming.
In addition, I come from a large family, and as a result I am used to watching over groups of young people. As the eldest child, I was often responsible for supervising my brothers, sisters and cousins, and enjoyed organising games and activities for them during the school holidays. In the past, I also helped to coach the football team which my youngest brother played in, and so I have some experience of nurturing a group of young children as they learn a new activity. Furthermore, I’ve learned how to handle behavioural challenges such as poor discipline or when a small child throws a tantrum.
I will be available to start from 2nd June. Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Jacob Rees
WRITING TASK 2
Model Answer:
In recent years some people have started to complain that children are spending too much time focused on academic schoolwork and not enough time doing leisure activities. From my point of view, children these days often don’t have enough recreational time, which is both bad for their physical and mental health, and deprives them of opportunities to socialise and practise important soft skills.
Firstly, lack of leisure activities is a factor in the worsening physical and mental health of young people. Many children now live extremely sedentary lives, spending all day at school in a chair, and then all evening sitting down with tutors or doing homework. This is clearly not good for their physical health as they don’t spend enough time doing physical activities such as playing outdoors, or doing sports. Furthermore, children need to spend time having fun in order to have good mental health. Recreation time is a chance for children to relax and be carefree, which is increasingly important in today’s high pressure academic world.
Secondly, play and leisure activities help children to socialise and build friendships as well as develop important life skills. While a strong focus on school subjects allows children to become very proficient in academic subjects, if all their time is spent in this way, they may miss out on building the deep lifelong friendships that are often only made during childhood. Moreover, playtime offers many opportunities to nurture and practise soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Depriving children of this time could result in them lacking the competencies they need to work effectively with other people and foster good relationships when they are adults.
In conclusion, it’s very important that children be given time to play and have fun. Although the priority should be on academic success during childhood, having enough time for leisure and recreation is still crucial, and will allow children to develop into mature, well adjusted and successful adults.
Children these days spend too much time studying and don’t spend enough time having fun.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
VOCABULARY
Topic Vocabulary:
carefree (adjective):
Definition: Feeling relaxed and happy, not worried or stressed.
Example: During summer vacation, the children enjoyed carefree days of playing and having fun.
coddle (verb):
Definition: To treat someone very gently and protectively, like a baby.
Example: Grandma tends to coddle her youngest granddaughter by giving her treats all the time.
dependent (adjective):
Definition: Needing someone or something else for support, care, or resources.
Example: He was already 21 but was still totally dependent on his parents.
discipline (noun):
Definition: Rules and punishments aimed at controlling behaviour.
Example: The discipline at the school was tough and students were severely punished for misbehaving.
fill with wonder (verb phrase):
Definition: Making someone feel amazed or fascinated by something.
Example: The fireworks display filled the spectators with wonder.
grow apart (phrasal verb):
Definition: To become less close or connected over time, especially in relationships or friendships.
Example: As they got older, Sarah and Tim grew apart and didn't talk as much.
inseparable (adjective):
Definition: Unable to be separated or parted.
Example: The two best friends were inseparable and did everything together.
look back (phrasal verb):
Definition: Thinking about things that happened in the past.
Example: She looked back on her childhood with nostalgia.
lose touch (phrasal verb):
Definition: To gradually or suddenly stop communicating or being in contact with someone.
Example: After graduating, they lost touch with each other and didn't communicate for years.
magical (adjective):
Definition: Something that seems very special and exciting.
Example: The fireworks on New Year's Eve looked magical in the night sky.
mature (adjective):
Definition: Acting like an adult and making responsible decisions.
Example: As she got older, she became more responsible and mature in her actions and decisions.
nostalgia (adjective):
Definition: A feeling of sadness or happiness when you think about things from the past.
Example: Going through old photo albums gave me a real sense of nostalgia.
nurture (verb):
Definition: Taking care of and helping something or someone grow and develop.
Example: Parents nurture their baby by providing love, care, and attention.
raise (verb):
Definition: To nurture, care for, and provide for the growth and development of a child.
Example: They worked hard to raise their kids to be kind and responsible.
supervise (verb):
Definition: Watching and making sure things are going well or being done correctly.
Example: The lifeguard supervises the pool to ensure everyone's safety.
throw a tantrum (verb phrase):
Definition: When a child gets very upset and behaves badly, like crying, screaming, or throwing things.
Example: The toddler threw a tantrum in the grocery store when his mother wouldn't buy him any candy.
toddler (noun [c]):
Definition: A young child who is learning to walk and talk.
Example: My grandparents looked after me and my sister when we were toddlers.
turn out (phrasal verb):
Definition: To result or develop in a particular way.
Example: She was a very naughty child, but she turned out to be a successful adult.
watch over (phrasal verb):
Definition: To protect and take care of someone, watching them to make sure they are safe.
Example: The babysitter was responsible for watching over the children while their parents were out.
well adjusted (adjective):
Definition: Being able to handle different situations and get along well with others.
Example: He was well adjusted and easily adapted to new situations and people.
