Part 3 — DiscussionQ3/2026Difficulty 4/5

Truyen thong & noi dung

IELTS Speaking questions reported by recent test-takers, compiled each quarter. Cambridge does not publish the active list, so this is a compilation of reports, not official material.

Questions

Question 190s to speak

How has the way people watch television changed in recent years?

Question 290s to speak

Do you think films can change how people think about real problems?

Question 390s to speak

Why do some people still prefer reading books to watching videos?

Model answer

Written by 8020 teachers. Do not memorise it — take the structure and the way ideas are developed, then speak about your own life.

How has the way people watch television changed in recent years? The biggest change isn't the screen, it's the loss of the shared schedule. Twenty years ago a programme was an appointment and everyone watched it at the same time, so the next day you could discuss it. Now everyone watches everything at different points, so television has become more available and much less social. Do you think films can change how people think about real problems? They can shift what feels real, which isn't quite the same as changing opinions. A statistic about a war doesn't land; one family's story does. That's powerful and also a bit dangerous, because the most affecting story isn't always the most representative one. Films are better at creating concern than at directing it usefully. Why do some people still prefer reading books to watching videos? Control of pace, mostly. With a book you set the speed, stop, reread the difficult paragraph. Video moves at its own rate whether you followed it or not. For anything genuinely complex I'd argue reading is still more efficient, even though it feels slower.

Vocabulary you can use today

the loss of the shared schedule
sự mất đi của khung giờ chung
a programme was an appointment
một chương trình là một cái hẹn
more available and much less social
dễ tiếp cận hơn nhưng ít tính cộng đồng hơn
shift what feels real
làm thay đổi cảm nhận về điều gì là thật
a statistic doesn't land
một con số thống kê không chạm được tới người ta
better at creating concern than at directing it
giỏi tạo ra sự quan tâm hơn là dẫn dắt nó

Common traps for Vietnamese speakers

Câu "một con số thống kê không chạm tới người ta, một câu chuyện gia đình thì có" là cách nói cụ thể cho một ý trừu tượng. Đây là kỹ thuật band 8: ý khó, từ dễ. Thêm một cảnh báo sau khi khen ("cũng hơi nguy hiểm, vì câu chuyện cảm động nhất không phải câu chuyện tiêu biểu nhất"). Nhìn được hai mặt trong cùng một câu trả lời là điều Part 3 chấm cao nhất. Ở câu về sách và video, đưa ra một tiêu chí (ai điều khiển nhịp) thay vì kể ưu điểm. Tiêu chí luôn mạnh hơn danh sách.

âm cuối /z/ trong films, books, videos/θ/ trong think, things, twenty→/t/âm cuối /d/ trong changed, followed, directed/ʃ/ trong shift, social→/ʃ/

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