Question-answer Details Discussion/ Two-way discussion (124 IELTS )

 

Discussion Topic - 'Different kinds of workplaces' & 'The importance of work'.

Different kinds of workplaces:

Q. What things make an office comfortable to work in?
Answer: Well, if I were an interior designer, I would certainly try first to give my office a natural feel and look in order to make it comfortable to work in. Of course, while different people would have different views on this “natural feel and look” thing, my views on this would be that one has to ensure enough natural lights and air inside the office, before anything else, to make it really comfortable. Then, of course, comes things like comfortable furniture, desks and chairs, followed by personalized décor like family pictures and wall arts, among other things to make an office comfortable to work in. Finally, the colleagues someone works with also makes an office a good or bad place to work in.

Q. Why do some people prefer to work outdoors?
Answer: I don’t like to work outdoors for some obvious reasons, but after asking some of my friends this question, I have found that some people prefer to work outdoors, mainly because they just have too much of an “outgoing personality” that always pushes them to explore new things and meet new people every day. Some of them prefer to work outdoor also because they find natural light and air outside of their office environment much more appealing and stimulating (for their brains) in order to become more productive and efficient than the closed working environment.

Q. Do you agree that the building people work in is more important than the colleagues they work with?
Answer: So far, I have had the mixed experience of working both in the nice buildings as well as with some really “unprofessional and uncooperative” colleagues, but I have never really found any evidence which would suggest that the building, people work in, is more important than the co-workers they work with. After all, it is the constant collaboration and cooperation among the office staffs that get the things done in a proper and professional manner, not the lifeless office buildings, even though, a nice building may sometimes offer us a false sense of “feel good” thing.

The importance of work: 

Q. What would life be like if people didn’t have to work?
Answer: I have always flirted with the idea of living in a world where we didn’t have to work at all. But flirting with such an idea and actually implementing it are totally two different things because, after all, our life and the world, we live in, would simply cease to exist if we didn’t have to work. Without the opportunity to work, our lives would probably be too boring and meaningless – boring and meaningless to such a point that we would probably even resort to “destroying” ourselves if not destroying each other.

Q. Are all jobs of equal importance?
Answer: Well, as much as we like the idea of having a world where all jobs are equally important, the reality is that we just can’t have it like that if we really want to move our world forward. And that’s probably why we have some jobs which pay really high while the others just don’t pay that much. Besides, since not all job carry the same degree of importance, we don’t have to have the same level of education, skills and capabilities to do them.

Q. Why do some people become workaholics?
Answer: In my humble opinion, some people become “workaholics” because they just don’t know what else to do with their time. For them, continuous work provides them with a structured way of life as well as some real purpose. Some people could become such workaholics also because it gives them a way to identify themselves and to feel a sense of pride in their achievements and success. Then finally, some people have to work too much out of necessity because this is the only way for them by which they are able to earn enough to provide for their families.

 

Discussion Topic - 'Status' & 'Ambition':

Status: 

Q. What kinds of things give status to people in your country?
Answer: Well! education, wealth, money, large house, luxury car, fame, career are some of the things that give status to people in our country. Apart from those, luxury gadgets, political power, expensive dresses and publicity are often considered symbols of status. For instance, people with large houses in a posh area boast about their status and power.

It is not unlikely that people with fame and popularity also enjoys a different type of status that mass people can’t have. Jobs in important government sectors can also be a symbol of status in many societies and finally political power, though controversial in some cases, is also a status symbol in my country.

Q. Have things changed since your parents’ time?
Answer: In terms of people’s status in society, things have not changed much between my father's generation and mine. The status symbols I mentioned earlier were almost the same as they are nowadays. Expensive technological gadgets and new brand names might have been added recently as part of people’s status symbol; however, those could be classified as the materialistic achievement which was also present in my parent’s era.

Q. Do you think advertising influences what people buy?
Answer: Yes, I think advertisement has a huge impact on people’s purchasing decision. It is quite natural that people would pick a known and branded product than purchasing products from brand names they do not know about.
 
People spend a lot of time in front of their television or computer and they are knowingly and unknowingly being influenced by the advertisements and advertisers. Some advertisements even allure us to purchase products we actually do not need at all.

Ambition: 

Q. What are the important qualities to achieve our ambitions?
Answer: Determination and hard work, in my opinion, are the two most important qualities to fulfil our ambitions and goals. Luck often plays its tricks but I believe fortune always favours the hard-working and strong-minded people to succeed.

Apart from that, proper planning, timely execution of those plans, expertise and experience are some other qualities we need to achieve our goals in life.

Q. Are all ambitions good in life?
Answer: I guess every positive ambition that brings happiness, success, prosperity and well-being of others is a good one. However, we are often driven by our selfishness, greed and materialistic achievements and any ambition which is aimed to fulfil our personal greed is a bad one.

In general, ambitions, in our life, help us work harder and give meanings to life, and that’s why we should have ambitions, positive ambitions that are.

Q. What type of ambition young generation in your country has?
Answer: That’s a good question. The young generation in our country usually aims for a prosperous career and economic freedom. Their ambitions in life also include being someone famous so that people will know them, being a successful and happy person in later life and having a beautiful and nice life partner. They also want to explore the world and want to see a flourishing country in the future where violence and crime would be a thing of the past.

Q. Would you focus more on achieving your ambition or doing things you love to do?
Answer: Personally, my ambition in life is quite realistic and not something we hear in fairytales or fictions. Luckily, in my case, being able to do something I love is not different than my ambition. I want to lead a life that would be surrounded by my family members, relatives, friends and people I care about. Being able to set up my own business or doing a job that I would feel interested in is both my ambition and dream.

Discussion Topic - 'Staying in hotels' & 'Working in a hotel'.

Staying in hotels:  

 

Q. What things are important when people are choosing a hotel?

Answer: I think that when people are choosing a hotel, they primarily consider three factors as important. Number one thing, of course, is the price or cost of renting the hotels. If the cost of renting seems to be too much inflated, most people wouldn’t choose a hotel, no matter how much nice it really is. The second factor is the location of the hotel, or if the hotel is located in an area which is clean and free from all kinds of annoying noises. Finally, the third factor is what kinds of amenities and services are provided by the hotel. Apart from that, sometimes online reviews and big discounts attract customers to chose a particular hotel over others.

 

Q. Why do some people not like staying in hotels?

Answer: I think that several negative factors generally tend to influence the people in deciding against staying at a hotel. The primary factor, in this case, would be the lack of enough privacy. Another factor could be the overall hygiene issue. After all, living in a closed environment and place, shared by many people at the same time, could be a bit problematic, to say the least. Finally, an unknown environment could also play an important role in dissuading people to stay at a hotel.

 

Q. Do you think staying in a luxury hotel is a waste of money?

Answer: Well, since the cost of renting a hotel room is certainly an issue for many people, it is tempting for many to think that staying in a luxury hotel is a waste of money, even though, I disagree with it. After all, they are called “luxury hotels” for a reason and the reason is that they usually ensure a very comfortable and safe stay, which usually comes with a variety of top-class services and amenities, for their guests. Besides, good things don’t come cheap. 

 

Working in a hotel:  

 

Q. Do you think hotel work is a good career for life?

Answer: I do think that working at a hotel can be a good career choice for life, primarily because the hospitality industry is one of those few industries which have seen tremendous growth over the last few years. With the proper education and experience, entry-level jobs can lead to top-level managerial positions rather quickly and easily. Besides, there are also many schools that offer post-secondary education in this job sector, which can also offer some great opportunities to become a hospitality educator in addition to working directly in the hotel and tourism industries.

 

Q. How does working in a big hotel compare to working in a small hotel?

Answer: There are certainly some differences between working at a big hotel and a small one. The main difference, of course, is that big hotels generally offer greater opportunities for growth with a better salary package and other types of career incentives than a small hotel does. Of course, a small hotel offers a personal management touch.  But, on the flip side, working at a big hotel could also pose a few more challenges, as opposed to working in a small hotel, which may include working longer hours and having fewer holidays.

 

Q. What skills are needed to be a successful hotel manager?

Answer: A hotel manager has to balance among several different responsibilities and duties, and without having a certain skill set, it will be very difficult for him or her to do so successfully.  Anyway, in order to become a successful hotel manager, a person should have excellent communication, interpersonal and customer service skills, operational knowledge, leadership and team-building skills, as well as financial and business skills. Besides, a successful hotel manager should also be enough detail-oriented and flexible in order to make sure the hotel is offering the best services.

 

Discussion Topic - 'Money and young people' & 'Money and society'.

Money and young people:  

 

Q. Why do some parents give their children money to spend each week?

Answer: I think that it depends on the parents as to why they choose to give their children money to spend each week.

Some parents think that when children reach a certain age, they may find it rather embarrassing to ask for money from their parents for every little thing they want to buy or get. So, in order to avoid such awkward scenarios, some parents just hand some money over to their children. Besides, they give money to their children also because they want their children to learn about money management from a young age.

 

Q. Do you agree that schools should teach children how to manage money?

Answer: Spending and managing money is an important matter for people of all ages, including children, and therefore, it is important that children also learn about money management, be it at home or at school. Of course, schools usually have better leverage in teaching children how to manage money, mainly because children go there to learn all kinds of things. Besides, schools are also usually better equipped to teach money management to children in a much more structured manner by offering detail lessons and homework.

Q. Do you think it is a good idea for students to earn money while studying?

Answer: With the increasing costs attached to the pursuit of higher education, I think that students should look to earning some money while studying – be it for the sake of covering daily expenses, paying for tuition or miscellaneous academic fees, or just for extra pocket money. Besides, students should look to do some jobs and earn some money while studying also because it would allow them the opportunity to gain some valuable first-hand, experience which, in turn, will prepare them better for the real working world after their graduation.

Money and society:  

 

Q. Do you think it is true that in today’s society money can’t buy happiness?
Answer: In an ideal society or world, I don’t really think that money can buy “happiness” (subject to, of course, how one defines “happiness”), but unfortunately, today, we are not exactly living in an ideal society where virtually anything and everything, including happiness, can be purchased. In other words, as much as I like the sound of a statement which says that “……money can’t buy happiness”, the truth is money can’t just buy happiness but also dictates how we should feel about ourselves as well as our accomplishments in the scheme of greater things.

Q. What disadvantages are there in a society where the gap between rich and poor is very large?

Answer: Unfortunately, we can talk about many disadvantages in a society where the gap between rich and poor is very large and significant. The main disadvantage, of course, is that the normal economic activities come to a standstill where poor people (usually the majority of the population) just don’t have enough money or means to pay for the basic necessities. In other words, as a result of this huge gap, the economy of the country suffers very severely. Besides, because of this large gap, crimes and social unrest among the poor people spread rather rapidly as well. 

 

Q. Do you think richer countries have a responsibility to help poorer countries?

Answer: I wouldn’t really use the word “responsibility” here, but it certainly helps to create a better world for all of us if richer countries take the initiatives to help poorer countries to stand on their own feet. After all, the more collaboration and cooperation, economic or otherwise, the poorer countries and richer countries have among them, the greater is the chances of reducing the tension and misunderstanding among them. Besides, by helping the poorer countries, the rich countries can also expand their market base in poor countries for their products. 

Discussion Topic - 'Shopping online' & 'The culture of consumerism'.

Shopping online:  

 

Q. What kind of things do people in your country often buy from online shops?

Answer: Shopping online is an increasing trend in my country, thanks to the availability and affordability of the internet. A huge number of people often hit their computers or mobile phones in order to buy a lot of things, including clothing items, perfumes, watches, sunglasses, shoes, books, mobile/smartphones, laptops, computers, cosmetics and home appliances. Many people also like to order for foods online from their favourite restaurants, in addition to their groceries as well, since it helps them save a lot of time.

 

Q. Why do you think online shopping has become so popular nowadays?

Answer: Online shopping has become so popular nowadays, and it has also become a new reality in our life. Anyway, it has become so widespread, mainly because it saves people a lot of time which otherwise would be wasted in running to a physical store and then coming back from it. After all, for many people, time is money. It has become so popular also because people can actually compare the products’ qualities and their prices at will before deciding to buy a product. Besides, this online shopping thing can happen 24/7 which is not possible with physical stores. 

 

Q. What are some possible disadvantages of buying things from online shops?

Answer: Online shopping is a popular means for many people to take care of their shopping needs, but it is not without its disadvantages. For example, it might prove out to be a bit more expensive than conventional methods of shopping since usually the “convenience factor of online shopping” is also added to the price. Moreover, a customer can not feel and touch a product before deciding which product to purchase and it often leads to frustration and sometimes deceptions as product pictures are often different from the actual products. Besides, delivery of the products on time can also be an issue for many small merchants with online shopping because packing the products, taking them to mail or courier services and then finally delivering to the doorsteps of the customers can be a rather lengthy process.

 

The culture of consumerism:

 

Q. Why do so many people today keep buying things which they do not need?

Answer: As the human, we have a very complicated mind and therefore, we perhaps would never know exactly why we tend to buy or acquire things even if we don’t need them. But, generally speaking, people tend to buy things, even when they don’t need them, primarily because it just makes them feel happy and good. Besides, it is also possible that some people do such a thing because they want to show off their financial wealth and success. Finally, some people buy things that they don’t need because they are not mentally strong enough to ignore the advertisers' tricks.

 

Q. Do you believe the benefits of a consumer society outweigh the disadvantages?

Answer: In my humble opinion, I don’t think that there is any straight forward answer to such a complicated question. Of course, some may argue that it is the “consumerism” that drives our society to work harder and produce more so that all people can have access to what they really need in order to have a better life. On the other hand, some people would perhaps argue that consumerism makes us feel greedy. But, whatever is the argument, consumerism, as a whole, is not actually such a bad thing for our society even though it may have some disadvantages.

 

Q. How possible is it to avoid the culture of consumerism?

Answer: My gut feeling says that it is not entirely possible to avoid the culture of consumerism because then we would be risking a lot of fundamental changes in our society – changes that could potentially “destroy” the very “fabrics” of our society. Besides, without the culture of consumerism, I don’t really think that we can achieve the needed development for our society to keep human civilization moving forward. So, again we shouldn’t really be thinking to avoid this culture, and instead, we should all be trying to reap the maximum benefits from it.