IELTS Part 2 & 3 Sample Band 9 – Topic: An Important River/Lake In Your Country

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe an important river/lake in your country
You should say:
• What this river is called.
• How you know about it.
• How long/big it is.
• Why it is important.

Band 9 Sample:
I am going to talk about the Mekong river, one of the biggest and most important rivers located in southwestern part of my country. With a length of about 2,700 miles, the river is the 7th longest is Asia. Locally, it’s called “River of the Nine Dragons” because the small branches of the river are, since time immemorial, associated with the image of nine majestic dragons. Needless to say, the river is mentioned in a variety of poems and songs.

In terms of agriculture, the mighty river together with its surrounding delta has been known as the agricultural heart and the ‘rice bowl’ of the whole country. The Mekong is also the most important fishing region.

If you are a discerning tourist who really has ‘wearing a conical hat in a sampan boat’ on your bucket list, a trip to Mekong Delta is a must. It is carpeted in a dizzying variety of greens and is also a place where boats, houses and markets float upon the innumerable rivers, canals and streams that criss-cross the landscape like arteries. Embarking on a Mekong River cruise provides tourists with fascinating insight into the local rural way of life, including the opportunity to visit some of the region’s best-known sites, along with plenty of hidden gems.

Vocabulary highlights:
• since time immemorial: for a very long time
• majestic: impressive
• agriculture: the cultivation and breeding of animals and plants
• mighty: very strong and powerful
• discerning: able to judge the good quality of something
• bucket list: a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or
accomplish during their lifetime
• criss-cross: mark with intersecting lines
• gem: a person, place or thing that is especially good

IELTS Speaking Part 3

 Do people like that river in your country?
I am afraid not. Rivers are really not what we are concerned about. Like you know, rivers aren’t our first choice when we go on a tour or something. We may long for beaches, we may want to be hitch hikers, but not many think of going on a river voyage.

 Do you like any activities on water?
Since i do not know how to swim, I’m afraid of activities in and on water, so it’s not really something that I care about. However. I do know something about parasailing and scuba diving from English textbooks, so I believe I may give it a try someday when I learn how to swim.

 Is it necessary for everyone to learn swimming?
Of course, swimming is vitally important. It’s a survival skill for people who live near rivers and oceans. There have been many reports and cases of children drowning, so I believe swimming should be a compulsory part in any PE course.

 Do people in your country go to swim in their spare time?
I would say yes and no. Around, like, 30% of the population know how to swim, and do it whenever they have some time to spare. ABC pool – the biggest public pool in my city is always fraught with people swimming every summer. However, I would not say so for the other 70% who have no idea how to swim