Describe a time you looked for information on the Internet

Describe a time you looked for information on the Internet.

You should say
– when you did that
– what information you searched
– how you felt about it

(when you did that) In the current age of information technology, everyone has probably heard of the phrase “information explosion” at some point in their life. While in the past, people had to look for information at libraries or in their own books, in the era of IT, we mainly access information on the Internet. As a university student of tourism management, I frequently make use of the Internet to do research for exams and essays. I am going to talk about the time when I used the huge amounts of information on the Internet to prepare for my final management exam last term.

(what information you searched) I searched for information about “situational leadership,” developed by Hersey and Blanchard, that I needed to learn for the final test in management. I had some direction from the lecturer, which made it easier for me to look for the information I needed. I read the studies by Hersey and Blanchard, and I found out that there are 4 approaches to leadership and there is no one-size-fits-all style. As well as researching online, I spent a day reading notes and books provided by my
teacher. Luckily, my efforts paid off and I passed the subject with flying colours!

(how you felt about it) The Internet is an enormous source of information that can be immensely helpful for students looking to broaden their knowledge. That said, in my opinion, information available on the Internet should not replace information in authorised and clearly examined books, because it can be wrong or deliberately intended to cause harm. Therefore, people should be cautious when using the Internet to look for information.

1. Prime (n):  the period in your life when you are most active or successful
Example: Middle age can be the prime of life if you have the right attitude.

2. To take place (phrase):  happen
Example: The concert takes place next Thursday.

3. Make use of (phrase): to use something that is available
Example: We might as well make use of the hotel’s facilities.

4. In preparation for (phrase): prepare for something
Example: I am making plans in preparation for my daughter’s wedding.

5. With ease (phrase): easily
Example: She won the 400 metre race with ease.

6. One-size-fits-all (phrase): (intended to be) suitable for everyone or every purpose
Example: a one-size-fits-all approach to education

7. To be engrossed by/in something (phrase): giving all your attention to something
Example: She was so engrossed by/in the book that she forgot the cookies in the oven.

8. To pay off = to pay dividends (phrase)
Example: All her hard work paid off in the end, and she finally passed the exam.

9. With flying colours (idiom): If you do something such as pass an exam with flying colours, you do it very successfully
Example: he passed his test with flying colours.

10. at the expense of something (phrase): resulting in the loss of something
Example: Singapore shows that academic brilliance need not come at the expense of personal skills.

IELTS SPEAKING PART 3:

1. What are the differences between getting information from libraries and from newspapers?
From a practical perspective, the access to information in libraries and in newspapers is not much different from each other as information is all paper-based and must undergo a thorough examination before being published. However, information included in newspapers covers a wider range of readers and news while information in libraries aims at a smaller scale of readers and provides in-depth knowledge rather than news.

2. In what ways can people get information these days?
As we are in the prime of the Information Technology age, there are numerous means of getting access to information. For example, one can read newspapers on sites like the propaganda of Singapore: The Straits Times. If one prefers in-depth knowledge, The Economist will be an ideal choice. Apart from online newspapers, social networking sites have also proved influential in providing information from more various perspectives. One can also rely on books to acquire information.

1. To undergo an examination (phrase)
Example: The evidence is still undergoing examination.

2. In-depth (adj): done carefully and in great detail
Example: an in-depth report/interview/analysis

3. Prime (n): the period in your life when you are most active or successful
Example: Middle age can be the prime of life if you have the right attitude.

4. Propaganda (n): information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view
Example: At school we were fed ring-wing propaganda.