describe the best meal you have ever had

the type of food consumed
the place it was served (a home or restaurant)
the people who attended
the event (if there was one)

vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
appetiser	usually the first course of a meal (sometimes called a “starter”)	I’m going to skip the appetiser and have the main course.
course	a particular part of an overall meal	There were three courses – an appetiser, a main course, and a dessert.
dessert	a sweet course usually at the end of a meal	This restaurant is famous for its desserts.
entrée	the main part of a meal (often just called “main course”)	The entrées here are fine but the appetisers and desserts are just fabulous.
flavour	how something tastes	This place serves Middle Eastern foods and I just love the combination of flavours.
menu	the list of dishes served in a restaurant	Their menu is small but everything on it is fantastic.
serve	to provide food	As soon as we finished our starters, the main course was served.
vegetarian	someone who does not eat meat or a dish that has no meat	This is a vegetarian restaurant and they have a wide selection of meat-free options.
waiter (male)/waitress (female)	the person who serves you in a restaurant	The waitress took our order half an hour ago but we haven’t gotten our food yet.

Several years ago, I went back home to my parents’ house in Shanghai for Spring Festival. My family has always celebrated the Spring Festival as the most important day of the year, but because I work in another city, I had not been back for more than a half years. I always missed those dinners and so I was indescribably excited to return and have one after so many years.

In our family, my mum does most of the cooking but everyone helps with certain parts of the dinner, such as chopping the vegetables or making desserts. That’s because there are so many different parts to it that it’s almost impossible for one person to prepare.

Families and friends gathered together to enjoy a variety of traditional dishes, such as dumplings, fish, and vegetarian delicacies, which are meant to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.

We usually eat this over more than an hour, talking and telling jokes. There are drinks as well. With the main course, it is usually red wine or juice, although some people prefer soft drinks. For dessert, there is a Christmas pudding, a trifle, a pavlova, and usually some other things.

We had all of that several years ago when I was back home with my family. My parents and brothers were there, as well as my brothers’ girlfriends. My grandparents were also in attendance. We had a wonderful time together and the food was incredible, just as I remembered it being.

This was the best meal for me not only because of the food but because it had been so long since I’d had the chance to enjoy a proper Chinese New year dinner. I had spent so much time away from my family that this one was more special than any other. I hope to be present for more of them in the future.

book/reading/novel

what kind of book it is
who wrote the book
what the story of the book is

and explain if it is a good book or not.

Part 1 – simple questions about books and your preferences in terms of reading
Part 2 – you’ll have to describe a book or a library
Part 3 – more abstract questions, perhaps relating to age or gender

part 1

Q: Do you like reading?
A: Yes, I love reading. I try to read at least one book every two weeks and I frequently read articles from magazines and journals.
Q: Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
A: Hmm. I like them both for different reasons, so I can’t say I necessarily prefer one more than the other. I usually alternate between novels and non-fiction books and I like them equally.
Q: What’s your favourite book?
A: Well, there are many books that I really like but I suppose the first one that comes to mind right now is Higashino Keigo's Journey to the End of Night. It's an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking book that really makes me think about the human condition and the choices we make in life. It's a story that stays with me long after I finish reading it, and I find myself coming back to it time and time again because of its depth and complexity.
Q: Do you ever read poetry?
A: Not often, but occasionally. I liked reading it when I was younger but nowadays I generally don’t find that it appeals to me. However, sometimes I will stumble upon a poetry book that I like and read it for a while.
Q: Do you ever go to the library?
A: There are no libraries where I live, so I don’t go now. However, when I was a student I was often at the library. Now, I buy my books online and read them on my kindle.
Q: Do you prefer reading paper books or digital ones?
A: I slightly prefer paper books. Paper books offer excellent reading experience, allowing me to feel the weight of the paper, turn pages, and take notes with ease. But actually I feel comfortable reading either. Digital books, offer convenience, portability, and accessibility. They can be easily stored and accessed on e-readers, tablets, or my smartphones so that I can start my reading almost everywhere. Ultimately, the choice between paper books and digital ones depends on personal preferences and reading habits.

part 2

My favorite book, Journey to the End of Night, is a psychological thriller novel written by Higashino Keigo, a renowned Japanese author.

The book tells the story of a young man named Kyoichiro, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend and her family. As the investigation unfolds, Kyoichiro's past is revealed, and the reader is taken on a journey to uncover the truth behind the tragic events.

I really enjoyed this book. It explores the themes of guilt, trauma, and the human psyche, and it kept me on the edge of my seat with its suspenseful and intriguing plot.

The author's use of language is poetic and atmospheric, creating a haunting and suspenseful tone that permeates the entire book.

This book has received positive reviews from critics and readers alike. I'll take it as a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and mystery novels like me. It is an excellent book that is sure to leave a lasting impression on its readers.

part 3

Directly answer the question
Explain
Explain further or give example

They are often a little abstract and involve “bigger issues” like society, technology, age, and so on. Instead of asking what you like to read, the examiner might ask about reading preferences between young people and old ones, or between men and women.

Q: Do you think that ebooks will one day replace paper books?
A: No, I don’t think so. However, they might become a lot more popular than they currently are. Ebooks clearly possess great value and as technology advances I think they will become increasingly common, but I think that printed books will continue to have a place. They might change form a little, but people generally prefer them and so I cannot see them becoming obsolete in the near future.
Q: How can children be encouraged to read?
A: First of all, it’s important that reading is not a chore for them. If children are told that they have to read certain books, they will view it as an unpleasant task and the things they prefer, such as video games, will be the reward for finishing that task. However, this means that they won’t read unless they are forced to. As such, it’s important to let children find the joy in reading and that will typically come from a playful early exposure. I think the best way is having parents read to children when they are young, so that they gain positive associations and come to appreciate this way of enjoying a story.
Q: Will libraries still exist in the future?
A: Sadly, I think that they will become less common, but they still will exist. Although ebooks and the internet will make libraries less important, it is likely that they will have a place in society because they offer various services beyond just borrowing printed books. Libraries loan ebooks, for example, as well as software. They are a place for people without a PC to use one and they do contain information that is not yet online.
Q: There are differences between the sorts of books that appeal to men and women?
A: Generally, I think there are but of course we should keep in mind that anyone should be free to read anything they want. We can easily see that young boys and girls have major differences in their innate preferences and I think this carries over to adulthood. There is a sort of cliché that women like romantic books and men like action, and this definitely has some truth in it, although obviously many genres are enjoyed by both genders.

describe a popular/famous person

who this person is
what he/she has done
why he/she is popular

and explain how you feel about this person.

vocabulary for famous people

Vocabulary	Meaning	Example
X is famous/known for…	This can be used to say why someone is famous.	Cyndi Lauper is famous for her pop song, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”
controversial	If someone is controversial, they are known at least partly for getting in trouble.	Nowadays, J.K. Rowling is a controversial figure due to comments she has made on Twitter.
icon	When someone is extremely famous in a particular field, they are an icon.	Mick Jagger is a musical icon.
influential	A person who is influential has had an influence on many people.	Coco Chanel was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century.
starred in	For actors, we can use this phrase to introduce some of their work.	Johnny Depp has starred in dozens of films, including Edward Scissorhands.
internationally renowned	If you want to avoid the word “famous,” this is a useful expression.	Haruki Murakami is an internationally renowned author.
brought joy to millions	This expression highlights the positive aspects of someone’s work.	Taylor Swift’s songs have brought joy to millions.

vocabulary for personalities

Vocabulary	Meaning	Example Sentence
Affectionate	Readily feeling or showing fondness or tenderness	They’re a really affectionate couple. They’re always hugging and kissing in public, which makes their friends uncomfortable.
Aggressive	Ready or likely to attack or confront	He’s a really aggressive guy. I don’t know why his girlfriend puts up with him. I can’t stand it when people are aggressive like that.
Ambitious	Having or showing a strong desire to succeed	He’s really ambitious. I think it’s because he’s young. I wish I still had that sort of energy. However, ambitious often fades with age.
Anxious	Feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something	She’s very anxious. She worries about everything and it drives her friends crazy! I wish she could just calm down a bit.
Bossy	Fond of giving people orders	That little girl is really bossy! She’s always telling her friends what to do. One day, she’ll go too far and have no friends left.
Charismatic	Exercising a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others	Barack Obama was popular because he was a really charismatic politician. People are always attracted to charismatic leaders.
Courageous	Similar to “brave.”	I think astronauts are really courageous. The work they do is very dangerous, and they do it all for the benefit of humanity.
Devious	Showing a skilful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals	He’s such a devious person. You just can’t trust him at all.
Generous	Showing a readiness to give more of something, especially money, than is necessary or expected	My sister is super generous. She gives loads of money to charity but never tells anyone. If everyone were that generous, the world would be a much nicer place.
Moody	Given to unpredictable changes of moody	My sister is really moody. She’s always angry at my about something and I never know why.
Supportive	Willing to help or emotionally support others	I try to be supportive but sometimes it is hard to put others first.
Vain	Having or showing an excessively high opinion of one’s appearance	People are incredibly vain these days. Everyone takes selfies and posts them on their social media. It didn’t used to be that way.

A famous person I’d like to meet is Jack Ma.

He is a Chinese business magnate and philanthropist who is best known for founding Alibaba Group, one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world.

Born in Hangzhou, he grew up in a poor family and struggled to find success in his early years. Despite this, he was determined to make a difference and pursued his dream of building a successful business.

Ma's big break came in 1999 when he founded Alibaba Group with a group of 18 other people. The company started as a small online platform for Chinese businesses to sell their products, but quickly grew into one of the world's largest e-commerce companies, with a valuation of over $500 billion.

Under Ma's leadership, Alibaba Group has expanded into a wide range of industries, including online payments, cloud computing, and digital media.

Ma is also known for his unique leadership style and his focus on innovation and customer satisfaction. He has been quoted as saying, "If you don't give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure."

This philosophy has helped him to overcome many challenges and achieve great success in his career.

Ma is also a well-known philanthropist and has donated millions of dollars to various charitable causes, including education and environmental protection.

Overall, Jack Ma is a highly successful and influential business leader who has made a significant impact on the global economy. His innovative approach to business and his commitment to philanthropy have made him a role model for many young entrepreneurs and business leaders around the world.

Speaking topic partly