IELTS Speaking Part 1 in 2020 with band 7+ Answers – Topic: HOMETOWN

1. (What’s (the name of) your hometown?)
I’m from Hue, which is a city in central Vietnam. Talking about Hue, people immediately think of the capitals, golden palaces, temples, shrines, and gorgeous dancing stage, majestic tombs, and ancient meditative landscapes.

2. (Is that a big city or a small place?)
Well, the city is quite small as compared to the vast cities and provinces in my country. Hue city covers just about 70.5 square kilometers, with a total population of roughly 360,000 people.

3. (How long have you been living there?)
I have been living there ever since I was born, which is 19 years until now. It is a relatively long period of time, so I’m really attached to this quiet, tranquil city.

4. (Do you like your hometown?)
(Answer) Yes, absolutely.
(Give a reason for your answer) Hue an area of outstanding natural beauty and for me is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It has everything; historical sites, fantastic beaches, rolling mountains, dense forests and picturesque countryside, extraordinary cuisine and hospitable people.

5. (Is there anything you dislike about it?)

The sole thing that I dislike about the city is probably the weather. In Hue, it invariably rains from September to December, which somehow adds up to the blue atmosphere of the city. Sometimes, when the rain is so heavy and persistent the city even floods.

6. (What do you like(most) about your hometown?)
The greatest appeal of Hue city, to my thinking, is its diversity of cuisine, which makes it well-known domestically and even internationally. Hue culinary traditions demand that meals must be presented aesthetically, harmonizing food elements, decorations and colors to create a gastronomic work of art.

7. (Do you think you will continue living there for a long time?)
(Answer) Actually I’m not quite sure about that.
(Give a reason for your answer) As I’m planning to study abroad, I may have to live far away from my hometown for a certain amount of time. However, if possible, I still want to settle down in this beautiful, peaceful city.

Vocabulary:

1. majestic [adj]: beautiful, powerful, or causing great admiration and respect
Eg: The majestic Montana scenery will leave you breathless.

2. vast [adj]: extremely large
Eg: Navigation across vast stretches of open water was no longer merely as daunting.

3. roughly [adv]: approximately
Eg: There has been an increase of roughly 2.25 million.

4. relatively [adv]: true to a particular degree when compared with other things
Eg: Sales was relatively low last summer.

5. (be) attached to [adj]: to like someone or something very much, because you have known them or had them for a long time

Eg: Regular babysitters can become deeply attached to the children they take care of.

6. outstanding [adj]: clearly very much better than what is usual
Eg: Her outstanding performances set a new benchmark for singers throughout the world.

7. picturesque [adj]: (esp. of a place) attractive in appearance
Eg: The city is known for its picturesque surroundings and pleasant climate.

8. invariably [adv]: always (in a negative way)
Eg: High blood pressure is almost invariably accompanied by high blood cholesterol.

9. persistent [adj]: lasting for a long time or difficult to get rid of
Eg: Symptoms of the illness include a high temperature and a persistent dry cough.

10. harmonize [v]: to bring ideas, feelings, or actions into agreement, or to be a pleasing combination of different parts
Eg: We need to harmonize the different approaches into a unified plan.

11. gastronomic[adj]: relating to the preparation and consumption (= eating) of good food:
Eg: This dish is a gastronomic delight.

12. settle down [v]: to start living in a place where you intend to stay for a long time, usually with your partner
Eg: Hung settled down after his marriage.