TOEIC SPEAKING TASK 5 EXPRESS AN OPINION (TOEIC S&W)

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EXPRESS AN OPINION

I Preference questions

1 Some people enjoy the excitement of city life Other people prefer the peace and quiet of small-town living Would you rather live in a big city or a small town? Why? Use specific /spəˈsɪfɪk/ examples to support your preference /ˈprefrəns/.

I would definitely prefer to live in a big city I like the excitement of city life There are always so many interesting activities to do, like different kinds of theater, concerts, classes you can take, and so on You can also meet a lot of different kinds

of people in your daily life people from all different places with all different kinds

of interests In addition, it’s much easier to find jobs in a city than it is in a small town That’s really important You have to work, right? So you want to live in a place where you have a chance of finding a good job I think life in a small town is very restrictive There aren’t many options for entertainment, and you don’t come across many different kinds of people I would be really bored if I lived in a small town

I think I would prefer to live in a big city I like the excitement /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

of city life for several reasons First, living in a big city has many job opportunities for me I have a lot of chances to apply for positions from many large companies in

my city In addition, it’s much more difficult to find jobs in a small town than it is

in a big city For example, after graduating /ˈɡrædʒueɪting/ I found an office job

that I wanted and that suited my abilities Second, there are always so many interesting activities to do, like different kinds of sports, concerts, entertainment

events you can take, and so on For example, I can attend art /ɑːrt/ performances, exhibitions /ˌeksɪˈbɪʃn/, cultural /ˈkʌltʃərəl/ activities, and concerts by famous

artists Overall, I would say I like living in a big city over living in a small town

2 Some people like working at home better than working in an office Which work environment do you prefer and why?

I think I would prefer to work at home There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but I think working at home is better for several reasons First of all, I don’t need to drive to work every day That will save me time and

money for gasoline /ˈɡæsəliːn/ For example, I can do other things while I work such as wash /wɑːʃ/ clothes, cook dinner, and clean my house Besides, working at

home helps me focus more on work If you work in an office, people sometimes

stop by This can disturb /dɪˈstɜːrb/ you and make you lose focus While working

at home, I feel like I complete deadlines faster and more effectively than when working at an office Overall, I think that I like working at home over working in

an office

Hmm that’s a good question I guess I would prefer to work at home There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but I think working at home is better because it’s just more convenient First of all, you don’t need to drive to work every day That will save you time and money for gas In addition, you can do other things while you work, like wash clothes, cook dinner, and watch your children Lastly, you can also usually get more done If you work in an office, people sometimes stop by This can disturb you and make you lose focus As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why working at home is more convenient

3 Would you rather shop online or go to a store? Give reasons and examples

to support your shopping preference.

I think I would prefer to shop online rather than shop in the store I feel this way for several reasons The main reason is that it takes more time Online shopping helps me save time instead of having to go to stores to shop Besides,

waiting to pay also makes me frustrated /ˈfrʌstreɪtɪd/ For example, I went

shopping last month at the mall center There were so many people, I had to wait in line for 1 hour to pay I don’t have time for that Another reason I like shopping online is that you can compare prices more easily If you find something at one

price on one site, you can check to see if it’s cheaper on another site You can’t do that in a store In general, I think that online shopping makes more sense

That’s a good question I guess I prefer to shop online rather than shop in the store While some people may think that shopping in the store is better, I don’t feel that way The main reason is that I just hate crowds Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about I went Christmas shopping last November There were so many people, I had to wait in line for 30 minutes to pay I don’t have time for that Another reason I like shopping online is that you can compare prices more easily If you find something at one price on one site, you can check to see if it’s cheaper on another site You can’t do that in a store Finally, although some people don’t like the cost, I like getting delivery That way, I don’t have to carry everything up to my apartment In general, I think that online shopping makes more sense

4 Some people enjoy cooking and eating most of their meals at home Other people would rather eat out at a restaurant most of the time Which do you prefer? Use specific examples to support your preference.

I think I would prefer to cook and eat most of my meals at home I feel this way for several reasons First of all, I can save money when eating at home If you

go to a restaurant and order dishes /dɪʃ/, you can see the price on the menu is higher than those you cook at home For example, the fried /fraɪd/ rice I cooked at home

was less than half the price at the restaurant Besides, eating time with family is important Cooking and eating at home helps my family get closer by sharing

stories between family members after school and work For instance /ˈɪnstəns/,

every evening my mother and I often cook together and my father prepares the

table We tell jokes /dʒəʊk/ to make the whole family laugh /læf/ and bring a happy atmosphere /ˈætməsfɪr/ to the house In general, I think that cooking and

eating most of my meals at home makes more sense

I prefer to eat out at restaurants most of the time I feel this way for several reasons The main reason for this is that I don’t know how to cook very well If I

eat at a restaurant, the food always tastes better than food I cook myself I also eat more of a variety of food at restaurants This is because I only know how to cook a few things Finally, there are a lot of good restaurants in the neighborhood where I live I have lots of choices for places to eat, and the food at each one is delicious

b I think I would prefer to eat most of my meals at home I have several reasons for this First, I think the food tastes better at home This is because I am a good cook, and I have a lot of delicious recipes In addition to that, I think it is more enjoyable to eat at home because it's more relaxing to eat in your own house than at a noisy restaurant Finally, I think you save a lot of money by eating at home The reason I feel this way is because it's usually cheaper to buy groceries than to buy food at a restaurant

5 Some people enjoy jobs in which they do the same work every day Others enjoy jobs that involve changing from project to project Which type of job would you prefer and why?

I think I would prefer to job that involves changing from project to project I feel this way for several reasons First of all I don’t really like doing the same work all the time because it makes me feel bored I like change and need some

variety /vəˈraɪəti/ in my life to find more inspiration /ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃn/ for work.

Besides, working on different projects helps me give more partners and experience

I have a chance to make a lot of new friends and contacts In addition, if I did the same thing every day, I might never learn new things In my opinion, I prefer a job that involves changing from project to project to be more interesting

I would prefer a job that involves changing from project to project I feel this way for a number of reasons First of all, I don’t really like doing the same thing every day I like change and need some variety in my life Second, I like to meet new people Working on different projects would give me a chance to make a lot of new friends and contacts Finally, I think doing the same thing all the time could be really boring If I did the same thing every day, I might never learn new things In

my opinion, a job that involves changing from project to project would just be more exciting

6 Some people prefer to live in a city while other people prefer to live in the countryside Which do you prefer and why?

Some people prefer to live in a city while other people prefer to live in the countryside I think I would prefer to live in a city and there are some reasons First

of all, living in a city has many job opportunities Therefore, I have a chance of finding a good job that suits me For example, there are trading firms, banks, insurance companies, foreign companies, and many others Besides, public transportation is very comfortable to use and easy to find at any place such as a bus stop, taxi stand, subway station, or an international airport Overall, I prefer to live

in a city

II Opinion questions

1 Imagine that there is a plan to build a large shopping mall in your neighborhood Do you support or oppose /əˈpəʊz/ this plan? Why? Use specific examples to support your preference /ˈprefrəns/.

 In my opinion, I support the plan to build a large shopping mall in my

neighborhood /ˈneɪbərhʊd/ for several reasons First of all, it would make

shopping a lot more convenient for all This is because I don’t have to go far to buy everything Therefore, it helps me save time to do other things For example, there

is a shopping mall near my house, it only takes me 10 minutes to get there The other important reason is it would bring more jobs to my neighborhood There are many opportunities for employment at a shopping mall As a result, it helps the local residents increase their income Overall, I think a new shopping mall would

definitely /ˈdefɪnətli/ be a good thing.

I support the plan to build a large shopping mall in my neighborhood because

it would benefit the neighborhood in several ways First of all, it would make

shopping a lot more convenient for local residents /ˈrezɪdənt/ Currently, we have

only a few small stores in the area, and they mostly sell groceries /ˈɡrəʊsəri/ and a

few other things If we want to buy clothes or things for the house or books or just

about anything, we have to travel several miles /maɪlz/ to get to the nearest

shopping mall The other important reason why I support this plan is because it would bring more jobs to our neighborhood There are a lot of opportunities for employment at a shopping mall There are jobs in stores and restaurants,

management /ˈmænɪdʒmənt/ jobs, and maintenance /ˈmeɪntənəns/ jobs, for example I think a new shopping mall would definitely /ˈdefɪnətli/ be a good thing

2 Many people feel that talking time to relax is the key to being productive at work and at home How do you feel about taking time to relax? Does it make people more productive? Use specific examples to support your preference.

 In my opinion, taking time to relax is the key to being productive /prə

ˈdʌktɪv/ I feel this way for several reasons First of all, relaxing improves mental health such as reducing stress and anxiety /æŋˈzaɪəti/ If I feel good, then I will be

able to work more and enjoy life more For example, after a hard day at work, I often listen to music to relax In this way, I can relieve stress and focus more on work For another thing, relaxing can help me improve my physical health by doing

sports, doing yoga /ˈjəʊɡə/, or going jogging As a result, I feel my body recharge / ˌriːˈtʃɑːrdʒ/ battery /ˈbætəri/ and be healthier /ˈhelθirir/ so I can work more

productively Overall, I guess I would say relaxing is an important part of everyone’s day

In my opinion, taking time to relax is the key to being productive /prə ˈdʌktɪv/ I have this opinion for the following reasons To begin with, relaxing is

very important for feeling good If you feel good, then you’ll be able to work more and enjoy life more For another thing, relaxing can help you sleep better If you

sleep better, you can do more when you are awake /əˈweɪk/ Finally, being busy all

the time makes you tired, so you can’t focus on your work For example, if you have a long day at work and then come home and work some more, you might start

to make mistakes /mɪˈsteɪk/ This won’t help anyone So overall, I guess I would

say relaxing is an important part of everyone’s day

3 Some people think that all young people should be able to attend college for free What’s your opinion about free education? Support your answer with reasons and details.

 Some people think that all young people should be able to attend college for free I support this opinion for the following reasons My first reason is that all

young people should have a chance /tʃæns/ to study It helps many people get a better job so that they have a comfortable /ˈkʌmftəbl/ life and raise /reɪz/ a family.

My second reason for thinking this is that it helps more graduates /ˈɡrædʒuət/ All young people who graduate /ˈɡrædʒueɪt/ are a more skilled and educated workforce /ˈwɜːrkfɔːrs/ As a result, they can contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ to the economic /ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk/ development /dɪˈveləpmənt/ of the country Overall, I

would have to say that I’m in favor of having free college education for all

In my opinion, all young people should be able to attend college for free I have this opinion for the following reasons My first reason is that all young people

should have a chance /tʃæns/ to study In my country, college costs are very high.

Because of this, not very many people can go This makes it harder for many poorer people to get a better job My second reason for thinking this is that it’s

better to use taxes /tæksiz/ for education than some other things Some people think that military ˈmɪləteri/ or highway budgets /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ are more important, but

I disagree Young people need to learn Thirdly, the cost is not that high If

everyone pays a little more in taxes /tæksiz/, more young people will have a chance /tʃæns/ So basically /ˈbeɪsɪkli/, I would have to say that I’m in favor of having free

college education for all

4 Wearing uniforms is popular in schools, but some people argue /ˈɑːrɡjuː/ that it might cause damage /ˈdæmɪdʒ/ to children’s individuality /ˌɪndɪˌvɪdʒu ˈæləti/ What is your opinion?

 In my opinion, I support that students should wear school uniforms I feel this way for several reasons First of all, wearing a uniform doesn’t

differentiate /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/ the rich and the poor among students If the students wear the same clothing, it is not possible to notice /ˈnəʊtɪs/ who is rich and who is poor So, that makes everyone equal /ˈiːkwəl/ For another thing uniforms help family budgets /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ This is because students or parents /ˈperənt/ can spend

money buying anything if they want For example, parents can buy their children different kinds of clothes, school supplies, or food and drink For these reasons, I

am in favor of wearing uniforms in school

There are some reasons why I believe students should wear school uniforms

First of all, wearing a uniform doesn’t differentiate /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/ the rich and the

poor among students If the students wear the same clothing, it is not possible to

notice who is rich and who is poor So, that makes everyone equal /ˈiːkwəl/ Next,

uniforms help family budgets For example, students or parents have to spend

money buying different kinds of clothes if students can wear whatever /wətˈevər/ they want Lastly, students in uniforms are easily identifiable /aɪˌdentɪˈfaɪəbl/ Students won’t be allowed to certain places where only adults /əˈdʌlt/ are accepted /əkˈseptɪd/ For these reasons, I am in favor of school uniforms.

III Agreement questions

1 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “people should get a pay raise every year, even if they don’t perform well”.

 In my opinion, I disagree with the statement “People should get a pay raise every year, even if they don’t perform well” I feel this way for several reasons First of all, employees are not motivated to try harder and work more productively This is because they think that even if they don’t perform well, they still get a pay

raise Therefore, the overall productivity /ˌprəʊdʌkˈtɪvəti/ of a company will

decrease, or profits will be dropped In addition, it is not fair for everyone I think

employees who make more efforts /ˈefərts/ to bring revenues /ˈrevənuː/ to a

company should receive a pay raise As a result, if employees feel that they are

treated unfairly, they will quit /kwɪt/ their jobs Overall, I think that the statement above is unsatisfactory /ˌʌnˌsætɪsˈfæktəri/, so people should not get a pay raise if

they don’t perform well

I strongly disagree with the statement, “People should get a pay raise every year, even if they don’t perform well” I disagree for several reasons First of all, it’s just not fair If you work hard, you should get a pay raise If you don’t, you should not It’s that simple Why reward someone for not doing a good job? Secondly, I really don’t like the stories in the news about people who get rewards when they do a bad job For example, one company went out of business, but the

president /ˈprezɪdənt/ still got a one million dollar bonus is that fair? Finally, I

know it gets more expensive to live every year, but that doesn’t mean people should get paid for a bad job In fact, if someone does a bad job, the company should reduce the salary, in my opinion The main thing for me is, it’s just not fair,

so people should not get a pay raise if they don’t perform well

2 There is a plan to offer free wireless service in your city, but there will be a slight tax increase as a result Would you be in favor of the planned tax increase? Give reasons and details to support your opinion

 In my opinion, I agree with a plan to offer free wireless /ˈwaɪərləs/ service

in my city I feel this way for several reasons First of all, offering free wireless

service helps us increase access /ˈækses/ to technology It is because everyone in

the area can use free wireless service to access the Internet Therefore, it brings

many benefits to the community /kəˈmjuːnəti/ such as searching for information,

seeking jobs, or entertainment For example, thanks to free wireless service, it helps

me improve my studies such as completing homework assignments /əˈsaɪnmənt/

and finding more new knowledge Besides, it brings many advantages to the

economy /ɪˈkɑːnəmi/ and society /səˈsaɪəti/ For instance, accessing free Wi-Fi can

attract more visitors to public places such as parks, or downtown areas In this way,

it will contribute to local business increase the number of customers and connect people from many different places All in all, I’d have to say that it’s just a good idea

I would not be in favor of the planned tax increase I disagree with the idea for several reasons To begin with, why should I pay for other people’s Internet? I know this would help some businesses, but it would also be a big cost for people

Some people might not be able to afford /əˈfɔːrd/ the tax Next, I think the city

should pay for something like that itself If they want to bring more people here

with that plan, they can pay the bill Furthermore /ˌfɜːrðərˈmɔːr/, free wireless is

not that big of an advantage anymore Most people have mobile Internet connections They can use their home Internet anywhere They won’t need free wireless that much All in all, I’d have to say that it’s just a bad idea

3 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “it’s more important

to eat a good diet than to exercise a lot” Support your choice with reasons and details.

 In my opinion, I disagree with the statement “It’s more important to eat a good diet than to exercise a lot” I feel this way for several reasons First of all, exercise is one of the best ways to improve our physical health It is because doing

exercise helps you better flexibility /ˌfleksəˈbɪləti/, burn calories /ˈkæləri/, build muscle /ˈmʌsl/, or maintain a healthy weight For example, I enjoy going jogging

on a daily basis because it helps me enhance my health and keep me fit Besides, eating a good diet can be healthy However, if you don’t move your body, it will

become weak /wiːk/ Therefore, this can cause harm to your body such as a potential /pəˈtenʃl/ risk of terminal illness, or affect your mental health For

instance, my sister used to diet to lose weight without exercising, so she often felt

tired, not toned /təʊn/, and lacking vitality /vaɪˈtæləti/ In conclusion, I have to say

exercise and diet are equally important