Authors of JUMP IELTS SERIES

ABAZAR ALIZADEH REZA MOROVATI

MA IN ELT MA IN ELT
Aalizadeh.com Rmorovati.com
 ‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺗﻚ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺗﻲ – ‪JUMP IELTS‬‬

‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺷﻨﻮﺍﻳﻲ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻧﺪﻥ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻧﻮﺷﺘﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻣﻜﺎﻟﻤﻪ‬

‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻓﻨﻮﺗﻴﻚ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻧﺪﻥ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻣﻔﺎﻫﻴﻢ ﮔﺮﺍﻣﺮ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺗﻠﻔﻆ ﻭ ﻟﻬﺠﻪ‬
‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻓﻮﻧﻮﻟﻮژﻱ‬ ‫ﺗﺤﻠﻴﻠﻲ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻋﻼﻣﺖ ﮔﺬﺍﺭﻱ ﻫﺎ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺳﺎﺧﺘﺎﺭ ﻭ ﺍﻟﮕﻮﻫﺎﻱ‬
‫• ﺣﻘﻪ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺗﺴﺖ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻧﺪﻥ‬ ‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻣﻘﺎﻟﻪ ﻧﻮﻳﺴﻲ‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺎﺣﺒﻪ‬
‫• ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﭘﻴﺶ ﺑﻴﻨﻲ‬ ‫ﺍﻧﺘﻘﺎﺩﻱ‬ ‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻧﻮﻳﺴﻲ ‪ /‬ﺗﻮﺻﻴﻒ‬ ‫• ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻣﺪﻳﺮﻳﺖ ﻣﺼﺎﺣﺒﻪ‬
‫• ﺟﺎ ﺧﺎﻟﻲ ﻫﺎ‬ ‫• ﺩﺭﻙ ﺍﻳﺪﻩ ﺍﺻﻠﻲ ﭘﺎﺭﺍﮔﺮﺍﻑ‬ ‫ﻧﻤﻮﺩﺍﺭ‬ ‫• ﻓﺮﺍﮔﻴﺮﻱ ﻭ ﺗﻤﺮﻳﻦ ﻣﺤﺘﻮﺍﻱ‬
‫• ﺳﻮﺍﻝ ﻫﺎﻱ ﭼﻨﺪ ﮔﺰﻳﻨﻪ ﺍﻱ‬ ‫• ﺩﺭﺳﺖ ‪ /‬ﻏﻠﻂ ‪ /‬ﺩﺍﺩﻩ ﻧﺸﺪﻩ‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺎﺣﺒﻪ‬
‫• ‪Matching‬‬
‫• ﺟﺎ ﺧﺎﻟﻲ ﻫﺎ‬
‫• ﺳﻮﺍﻝ ﻫﺎﻱ ﭼﻨﺪ ﮔﺰﻳﻨﻪ ﺍﻱ‬

‫ﻫﺮ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﺷﺎﻣﻞ ﺩﻩ ﺟﻠﺴﻪ ﺍﺳﺖ‪) .‬ﻫﺮ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺑﻄﻮﺭ ﻛﺎﻣﻼ ﺟﺪﺍﮔﺎﻧﻪ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭ ﻣﻲ ﺷﻮﺩ(‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﻃﻮﻝ ﺩﻭﺭﻩ ‪ 5‬ﻫﻔﺘﻪ ‪ /‬ﻫﻔﺘﻪ ﺍﻱ ﻳﻚ ﺭﻭﺯ‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭﻱ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﺩﺭ ﭘﻨﺞ ﺭﻭﺯ – ﻫﺮ ﺭﻭﺯ ﺩﻭ ﺟﻠﺴﻪ )‪ 5‬ﺗﺎ ‪ 8‬ﻋﺼﺮ ‪ 9 /‬ﺗﺎ ‪ 12‬ﻇﻬﺮ(‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﻫﺰﻳﻨﻪ ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﻫﺮ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ‪ 108000‬ﺗﻮﻣﺎﻥ‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﺷﺮﻭﻉ ﻳﻚ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﻫﺮ ‪ 2‬ﻫﻔﺘﻪ‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ ﺩﺭ ﻳﻚ ﮔﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ = ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ ﺷﺨﺼﻲ ﻭ ﺣﻤﺎﻳﺖ ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺷﻲ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺗﻤﺎﻣﻲ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻫﺎ‬ ‫‪o‬‬

‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺗﻚ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺗﻲ ﻓﻘﻂ ﺗﻮﺳﻂ ﺍﺳﺎﺗﻴﺪ ‪ ، JUMP IELTS‬ﺍﺑﺎﺫﺭ ﻋﻠﻴﺰﺍﺩﻩ ﻭ ﺭﺿﺎ ﻣﺮﻭﺗﻲ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻨﺪ ﺷﺪ‪.‬‬
MONO-SKILL TRAINING WORKSHOP – JUMP IELTS
LISTENING READING WRITING SPEAKING

• Phonetic Skills • Analytical Tips • Grammar • Pronunciation

• Phonological • Critical Tips Concepts & Accent
Rules • Heading • Punctuation Training
• Test Tricks • True/False/Not Training • Interview Form
• Prediction Skills Given • Essay Writing Building
• Gap Filling • Matching • Letter Writing / • Interview
Graph Management
• Multiple Choice • Gap Filling
Description Skills
• Matching • Multiple Choice
• Interview
Content Pratice

o Each Workshop Consists of 10 Sessions.

o Each Workshop Is Run Independently.
o Each Workshop Takes 5 Weeks.
o Workshops Are Held Between 9 – 12 am / 5 – 8 pm.
o Tuition Fee Is 108000 Per Skill.
o There Is a Workshop Every Fortnight.
o Registration for One Skill Equals Self-study Program for All Other Skills
 ‫ﻓﺮﺁﻳﻨﺪ ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ – ‪JUMP IELTS‬‬

‫ﺷﺮﻭﻉ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ‬ ‫ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﺭﻳﺰﻱ ﻭ ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ‬ ‫ﺟﻠﺴﻪ ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ‬ ‫ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺳﻄﺢ‬

‫ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ‬
‫)ﻇﺮﻑ ﺣﺪﺍﻛﺜﺮ ﺩﻭ ﻫﻔﺘﻪ‬ ‫)ﻇﺮﻑ ‪ 72‬ﺳﺎﻋﺖ ﭘﺲ ﺍﺯ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﻧﻈﺮ‬
‫)ﺩﺭ ﺍﻳﻦ ﻣﺮﺣﻠﻪ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ‬
‫ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖ‬ ‫)ﭘﺲ ﺍﺯ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺳﻄﺢ‬
‫ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺷﺮﻛﺖ ﺩﺭ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ‬
‫ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﻧﻈﺮ ﺩﻋﻮﺕ‬
‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﻧﻈﺮ ﺧﻮﺩ‬
‫ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻭ ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ ﻻﺯﻡ‬ ‫ﺩﺭ ﺟﻠﺴﻪ ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ‬ ‫)ﺟﻬﺖ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﻭﻗﺖ‬
‫ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﻛﺮﺩ(‬ ‫ﺷﺮﻛﺖ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﻧﻤﻮﺩ(‬ ‫ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ(‬
‫ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﺷﺪ(‬ ‫ﺩﻋﻮﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﺷﺪ(‬

‫ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺯﻣﺎﻥ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺳﻄﺢ ﺑﺎ ﺷﻤﺎﺭﻩ ‪ 80‬ﻭ ‪ 021 – 88541070‬ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺣﺎﺻﻞ ﻓﺮﻣﺎﻳﻴﺪ‪.‬‬
‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺗﻚ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺗﻲ ﻓﻘﻂ ﺗﻮﺳﻂ ﺍﺳﺎﺗﻴﺪ ‪ ، JUMP IELTS‬ﺭﺿﺎ ﻣﺮﻭﺗﻲ ﻭ ﺍﺑﺎﺫﺭ ﻋﻠﻴﺰﺍﺩﻩ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻨﺪ ﺷﺪ‪.‬‬
 JUMP IELTS

IELTS Speaking
Sample Questions & Answers

ABAZAR ALIZADEH
REZA MOROVATI
MOSES TUSHEHJOU
 Whatever you do,
do it heartily, as for the Lord
and not for the Man
Acknowledgements

I would like to appreciate all those who provided me with enlightening

suggestions by reading the manuscript.
Finally I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my wife without
whose patience and support writing this book would have been impossible.

Abazar Alizadeh
Tehran, December 2009
About the Authors
Abazar Alizadeh specialized in ELT (English Language Teaching) from the University of Allameh
Tabatabaee, and started his professional teaching career as a TOEFL (Pbt) instructor in 1998
and in 2000, he began to teach IELTS, GRE and GMAT preparation courses.

In 2002, he was awarded a prize by the University of Allameh Tabatabaee for wining third place
in Iran's nationwide MA examination.

He also has taught "Contrastive Analysis", "Language Teaching Methodology", "Advanced Essay
Writing" and many other courses at various universities in Tehran.

He published his first book entitled "New IELTS Strategies" in 2004 and from 2004 to 2007 he
worked as an IELTS supervisor and syllabus designer for various IELTS Centers in Iran.

In 2008, he published his speaking book entitled "New IELTS Interview Samples" which is widely
used by candidates in Iran and many other countries in the world including Georgia, Armenia,
the UAE and Turkey.

In 2009, he published his writing book "IELTS Essays" to give a chance to IELTS candidates to
read as many samples as they wish to prepare themselves for the writing test.
About the book:

 The book that you are currently holding is the first ever book including sample answers
in all three parts of the IELTS Interview.

 The book contains approximately 90 sample answers in Part 1, 20 sample answers in

Part 2 and over 200 sample answers in Part 3 of the speaking test.

 The book comes with the audio CD which includes all the sample questions and
answers carefully read by the authors.

 The audio CD also contains numerous interviews of IELTS candidates on the day before
the interview along with the band scores they achieved.

 The book was written using The Oxford Dictionary of Collocations and includes the most
appropriate topical words and collocations required to achieve your maximum band
score.

 The topics in all the three parts of the IELTS interview are recommended by IELTS
examiners throughout the world.

 The sample answers contain the most standard ideas to present in the real IELTS
Interview.

 The sample answers observe the rules of the spoken English and are prepared in an
elegant and intellectual style.

 The sample answers can simply obtain a band score of 9 in the real IELTS Interview.
Part 1 Samples

Part 1
 Your Background

Sample Questions:
1. What’s your full name/first name and surname?
I am Ali Salehi, please call me Ali.

2. Where were you born?

Well, I was born in Shiraz but I grew up in Tehran, you know, we moved to
Tehran when I was only five years old …

3. Did you grow up in Tehran?

Well, as a matter of fact, no I moved to Tehran just about three years ago,
however I like it here and I think I belong here.

4. Tell me about your daily routine?

Well, My daily grind as a matter of fact, since I go to work six days a week
and I usually work overtime, and therefore I arrive home pretty late, I
start work at about 9 am, so I have to get up at seven, on the weekend, I
usually go out with my wife and my two little kids and we try to enjoy
ourselves and charge our batteries for another tough week …

5. What do you like/ dislike about your daily routine?

Well, what I like about my daily routine is its efficiency, I mean I usually
have no time to waste and I am very happy about this, and let me think
well another thing that I like about my daily routine is the responsibility
that I have, you know I am a family person therefore I feel like I am
responsible for my family, and this motivates me a lot …

I think, there is only one thing that I hate about my daily routine. You may
think it is the exhaustion, but as matter of fact the problem is that I don’t
get much free time to spend with my wife and my children …

6. How did you use to spend your time when you were a child?
When I was a kid, I did not use to study a lot and I used to go out with my
friends and play football and, and many other things. I think I used to be
very naughty and playful …

IELTS Speaking 1
 Part 1 Samples

 Your English background

Sample Questions:
1. Where did you learn English?
I took up English when I was only ten years old, my father sent me to an
English school in our neighborhood, I liked it very much because I learned
how to speak English and that was very prestigious, I mean I could show
off at school, and it was my main motive. But later I pursued my English
studies more seriously by myself since I needed it for my job.

2. Have you ever lived in an English-speaking country?

Well, no, no, but I, I wish I could live in an English-speaking country; I
think I could make a great progress in my English, and I really would like
to go to the US some day in the future.
3. Why did you learn English?
Well I began English when I was only ten, and then I attended English
classes for it was very prestigious, however later it was not a notable
reason anymore, I think nowadays I study English because I need it for my
job, and my education…

4. Why are you taking the IELTS test?

As matter of fact, I intend to continue my studies abroad, preferably
Canada, and the university I’ve chosen requires an IELTS score of 7…

5. Why are you studying English?

You know I am a civil engineer and currently we are signing contracts with
many foreign partners and I need to have a good command of English in
order to communicate efficiently with my counterparts.

6. What skills do you find easiest to learn? Why?

Well, I think it depends on the person really, but for me reading is the
easiest, because I’ve always been interested in reading and no matter
English or Persian, I mean I like both.

7. How will improving your English benefit you personally?

It is obvious, I mean the benefits are very obvious, there are numerous
advantages, well you just name it, job, education, business, travel
whatever, but personally I think English has been very helpful in my
studies, I mean I have the chance to learn about the latest events,
breakthroughs and papers in my field and I don’t have to wait for them to
be translated.

2 IELTS Speaking
Part 1 Samples

 Your home

Sample Questions:
1. Do you live in a house or an apartment?
I live in a house. It is a two-storey building with a large garden and a pool,
and it’s located in the suburbs. It’s very comfortable, you know, no noise,
no pollution, no traffic jams. I like it a lot.

2. What is your house/ apartment like?

I live in a house; it’s a two-storey building with a garden and a small
swimming pool. There are two large bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room
and a large living room. It’s not very modern you know but it’s very
comfortable. And there is also a nice balcony where we usually spend our
evening chatting and drinking coffee…

3. Do you like where you live?

Sure, I like it a lot; it’s a very quiet neighborhood, very safe and very
convenient, there are a shopping center and a sports complex right next
to us and besides the neighbors are all very helpful and very considerate,
the only problem is the sewerage, it is an old system and it doesn’t work
properly and it sometimes stinks…

4. What do you like about your house?

It is a large house, first of all, very spacious, so I like the size, and second
of all it’s very convenient, I mean everything is located within a walking
distance, so we don’t have to pay any fare or go downtown shopping. And
it also has a beautiful garden with a very comfortable arbor where we sit
for hours and spend our evenings …

5. What do you dislike about your house?

Well, the biggest problem is that it’s far away from the city so I have to
spend hours commuting from and to work. But that’s OK because I usually
do my work on the bus or the subway train, and I think another problem
is its maintenance I mean we have to allocate a large amount of money
monthly for garden, the pool, the stairs and the yard, Because I and my
wife don’t get much time to do these chores…

6. Can you describe your dream house?

I think my dream house is a large mansion with all the modern household
facilities, and the most advanced security systems, and there are lots of
bedrooms and dining rooms and also there are all kinds of recreational
facilities too. And I think my dream house does not need maintenance
because it never gets dirty and old…

7. How long have you lived in your present accommodation?

We moved in just about five years ago when I got a new job in Tehran,
and before that we used to live in Tabriz. I am quite satisfied with my

IELTS Speaking 3
 Part 1 Samples

present accommodation therefore I think I am going to live here as long

as I find a really special place…

8. Do you like living in a house or a flat?

Certainly a house, I mean I prefer a house by all means. I’ve never lived in
a flat and I think I will never do that unless I have to. You know there are
no restrictions in a house, you can play music loud you can come home
late you can have a party and you don’t need to constantly apologize to
your neighbors in the mornings as you run into them. I mean you can
taste real freedom. Living in a flat for me is just like living in jail.

 Your job

Sample Questions:
1. What do you do?
I’m a civil engineer and I work in an international company, and I’m in charge
of the calculation department, our main responsibility is to calculate some
figures needed to construct various structures such as bridges, dams,
buildings, highways and things like that…

2. What’s your occupation/job?

I’m a civil engineer and I work in an international company, and I’m in charge
of the calculation department, our main responsibility is to calculate some
figures needed to construct various structures such as bridges, dams,
buildings, highways and things like that…

3. Are you employed?

Yes, I am employed, I was employed at the age of 22 and I’ve been working
for almost 13 years, I guess, I’m a civil engineer and I work in an international
company, and I’m in charge of the calculation department, our main
responsibility is to calculate some figures needed to construct various
structures such as bridges, dams, buildings, highways and things like that…

4. Do you have a part-time job or a full-time job?

I am actually a full-time employee, you know a 9 to 5 job, I’m a civil engineer
and I work in an international company, and I’m in charge of the calculation
department, our main responsibility is to calculate some figures needed to
construct various structures such as bridges, dams, buildings, highways and
things like that…

5. What do you do exactly?

Well as a matter of fact I’m in charge of the calculation department; our main
responsibility is to calculate some figures needed to construct various
structures such as bridges, dams, buildings, highways and things like that, I’m

4 IELTS Speaking
Part 1 Samples

also responsible for the designing department, where we design various

structures for our clients…

6. Where do you work?

I work in an international company in Tehran, it’s located downtown, it’s a
large apartment building and we work on the third floor. We design various
structures for our clients.

7. What do you like or dislike about your job?

Well, it’s a very interesting job because we are always designing new
structures I mean there is always something new about it and you learn new
things day in day out therefore I never get bored, it’s also challenging I mean
you always need to find solutions, solve equations and sometime it is a real
struggle to meet a deadline…

You know sometimes we fall behind our schedule, but then we can’t extend
the deadline therefore we need to work overtime and that could be very
bothersome at times especially when you’re invited to dinner I mean you
can’t make it and then you can’t behave socially you have to reject invitation
after invitation…

8. What is your favorite job?

Well favorite job, very funny I mean most people I’ve known in my life could
never work in their favorite fields, and I think I’m no exception, I don’t know
why, you know I always wanted to be a pilot, you know flying airplanes up
there like a bird, but what am I doing now? I am a civil engineer stuck in my
office all day.

9. What does an average day at work involve?

I start work at 9 and first of all I check my mailbox and I reply to the emails,
then I meet the new clients if there are any, and I check the other engineers’
calculations and solve their problems and provide them with some comments
if I have any, at lunchtime, we take a break for an hour and resume work at 1
pm, in the afternoon I usually have a meeting with my boss or clients and talk
things over and I usually finish work at 5.

10. How did you become interested in the type of work you do?
My brother advised me to pursue this field of study. Well, my brother was a
civil engineer, but now he’s retired. I remember when I wanted to take the
University Entrance Exam he told me to major in civil engineering.
And I’m very satisfied with my major however I didn’t have much information
about it at the time…

11. Are there things you would like to change about your work?
Yes, there are actually many things which need to be changed, I think the
most important change needs to be made in the calculation department, the
equipment and the programs with which we work are somehow old and we
need to get more advanced equipment and computer software in order to be

IELTS Speaking 5
 Part 1 Samples

more accurate. Our marketing methods have to be reformed too, you know
they are traditional marketing methods and they don’t work very well and in
the competitive market nowadays we need to present our company in the
best way and we need to promote our company’s image…

12. How important is your job for the people?

I think it’s very important, everyday we see new structures being built such as
buildings, bridges, dams, highways and so on and all of these structures
perform a very important role in our daily life and they are made by civil
engineers I mean imagine a world without civil engineering, how are we
going to design, calculate and build new structures we need, I think it’s totally
impossible…

 Your studies/school or university

Sample Questions:
1. Do/did you go to state university/ private school?
Well fortunately I attend the state university of Tehran and I study civil
engineering, I think private universities are very expensive these days and I
can’t afford going to these universities…

2. When did/will you graduate from college?

I entered college 7 years ago and I graduated about 3 years ago, you know I
didn’t try to finish within three years…

3. What is/was your major/ field of study?

I specialized in medicine, my favorite major, and now I’m a general
practitioner, I’m very happy…

4. Do/did you like your major?

Sure, I’d always wanted to study medicine in college, you know it was very
hard to obtain the score necessary for this major, and after a strenuous year
of studying, I finally was granted the university admission…

5. What is your degree?

I have an MS in mathematics and I graduated last year, I’m currently
preparing myself for the Ph.D. entrance exam which is next month…

6. Is/was it a difficult major to study?

Well I think all majors are difficult if you don’t study seriously and I think I
studied pretty professionally therefore unlike my classmates who were
always complaining about the lessons and the tests, I found my major pretty
interesting and rejuvenating I mean I lived with my major…

7. Why did you choose to study that?

Well, I don’t know really why I chose to study that, I think I didn’t have much
information at the time, I was only 18 and inexperienced, but I consulted

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many experts, my family members and my friends they all agreed what I had
chosen was a good field. Therefore I applied for it; I think I grew an interest in
the subject after I entered college and learned about it.

8. What’s/was your university like?

Well, first of all, I have to say it was so vast, you see as I told you I studied
agriculture and the university had many farms in it therefore it took an hour
to walk across the university. It was a very modern university equipped with
high-tech facilities and laboratories and the professors were all experienced
and well-motivated and I think the education system was so powerful and
efficient that nowadays I can hardly find a classmate who is jobless…

9. How will you studies help you with your future career?
Well, I think they can definitely be of some help, especially the practical
courses that we had, you know I studied agriculture and therefore the
practical courses were taught either in the laboratory or on the farm and we
really learned how to solve numerous problems, we also had some
theoretical courses, you know they are of some help too, they give us some
insight and help us solve unfamiliar problems in case they occur…

10. How did you become interested in your major in the first place?
I wasn’t very interested in my field at first but then as I learned more about it
in college; I discovered how interesting it was and how necessary it was for
the society, consequently I was motivated to learn more and more so I think
having sufficient information concerning my major helped me decide
whether I was interested in it or not.

 Your family and close friends

Sample Questions:
1. How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have two brothers and one sister and they are all married, and my eldest
brother has two sons and my sister has a daughter too…

2. What number son or daughter are you?

I am the youngest in my family, I have two elder brothers and one sister, I like
it because I get more attention from my parents than my bothers and sister
do.

3. Do you come from a large family or a small family?

Well, yes of course there are seven in my family and we are all married and
most of us have a couple of kids so altogether I think we are 23, you can’t
believe it. But thank God we don’t live in the same house nowadays and we
are independent which makes the crowd more tolerable, but when we get
together on the weekend you can see what a huge family we are…

4. Do you have any children/kids?

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Well not yet, actually I got married just last year, but we are planning to have
children in the future, of course not many of them, I mean one and at most
two will suffice…

5. Are you married/engaged?

Yes I am married, as a matter of fact I got married two years ago and our
second wedding anniversary was just last week…

6. Do you live alone or with your parents?

I’m not married, and I don’t live with my parents either, I would like to live on
my own, I went independent about a year ago, and I feel better now, you
know I have more privacy and it feels good to stand on your own feet…

7. What do your parents do?

Well, my father is retired, he used to be clerk and work in a company in the
West of Tehran and my mother is a teacher I think she will retire next year
and she is looking forward to it…

8. Do you live with any of your grandparents?

Unfortunately all my grandparents are dead but as far as I can remember
they all lived with us and we eagerly took care of them I think we miss them a
lot now…

9. Are your parents strict?

In fact, they are somehow, but it depends, I mean, they are strict when it
comes to important matters such as education, job and so on but they are
not fussy about it I mean they don’t pick on you all the time, and they don’t
bother me for unimportant matters such as hair, clothes and stuff like that I
think they are very moderate…

10. Do you get on well with your parents?

Sure, I mean I do get along with my parents, I think they are very easy-going
and we hardly ever have any problem, you know they are very enlightened I
mean they understand the generation gap they understand that I am young
and I have special needs and even they try to take care of my needs…

11. How often do you see your parents?

Well, we live in the same building so I see them every day, they live on the
second floor and we also often eat with them so I think it is great that we live
in the same place you know they are getting old an I think I’m close to them
and I can take care of them…

12. What do your parents do in their free time?

Well, my parents are in their 60s therefore in their free time they usually just
go out for a walk in the park in our neighborhood; they often read books as
well. Sometimes they visit relatives and their children who live near us. My
father is also keen on fixing things so in his free time he may as well try to fix
things around the house…

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13. Who do you look like in your family?

I don’t really know, but they say I resemble my mother, but I don’t really
think so, I think I look like my father, he’s got a big nose just like mine and I
think our chins are identical too, well I think the reason they say that I look
like my mother must be my eyes.

14. Tell me about your family members.

Well, my father is a clerk and he’s about 57 and he is going to retire very
soon, and my mother is a teacher she is a very nice and wise woman and I
love her a lot, she is 50 and I have two brothers too, my eldest brother is 30
and he is a tailor, he is a very professional tailor I can say. My youngest
brother is a student and he studies architecture I have one sister too and she
is married and she is a housewife…

15. How often do get together? Why?

We get together pretty often I think about once a week at least. Usually we
get together at my parents’ house. My parents get very happy and we play
games and discuss things and we have a great time…

16. How much time do you manage to spend with the members of your
family?
In fact, I’m very busy these days so I can’t spend much time with my family, it
is a pity, and I admit that, but anyhow I try to see my parents every fortnight
and then we go out and we try to enjoy ourselves I hope I can do something
to see them more often…

17. What sorts of things do you do with the members of your family?
We do lots of different things, I mean we usually go on a picnic or we go
mountain climbing, go to the movies together, and let me think well, we play
sports too, we often play tennis or football, and we sometimes bet and it’s
very exciting…

18. Can you tell me about your close friends?

Well, I don’t have many close friends, I only have two very, very intimate
friends and they are very reliable and I think I can rely on them under the
most critical circumstances. We’ve known each other for at least 17 years I
guess…

19. In what ways are your friends important to you?

They are very important to me because first of all we are very close friends
we have lots of memories together, you know we’ve known each other for
quite a long time and for that reason we trust each other and this trust is very
important to me since it’s based on a long-term relationship…

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 Your city/country

Sample Questions:
1. Where do you live?
I live in the outskirts of Tehran; it is a small, beautiful city located in the
northeast of the province.

2. Do you like it here?

Well I love it here. You know it almost has all the characteristics of a good
city, it’s clean and safe and it is also very quiet and peaceful, there are
enough recreational facilities and the public transport is nice and modern
therefore I really don’t have any problems.

3. What’s your home town like?

As a matter of fact I was born in the southwest of the country in a small
village, and there we had nothing I mean we didn’t even have a high school
and so I don’t really approve of it and I’m happy we moved out of that small
village there was really no chance for progress; nevertheless, I respect the
people of the village they are very nice and very kind…

4. What do you like/dislike about hometown?

It is very green and this is the first reason why I love my hometown, there are
trees as far as your eyes can penetrate and it is, therefore, so clean and
beautiful. Another reason is the people. They are very kind and very
hospitable and they are very helpful too…

I think there are actually no modern facilities, even the roads and the streets
are not paved, dirt roads, can you believe that? Moreover there are hardly
any telephone lines; that means you can’t use the Web and you are actually
disconnected from the rest of the world as long as you are there…

5. When did you move to Tehran?

I think I was about 7 years old, yes because for the first time I went to school
in Tehran, I can clearly remember that, and I remember that at first I was very
sad and depressed I think it took me at least one year to get used to the new
conditions in Tehran…

6. Where are your parents from originally?

My father is originally from Ahvaz but my mother is from the northwest of
the country, and I think they met each other in a university in Tehran and
they fell in love and they got married…

7. Where did you use to live before you moved to Tehran?

Before we moved to Tehran we used to live in the north of the country near
the Caspian Sea, it was wonderful, I mean the nature was scenic and I always
used to go into the jungle in my free time. It was very excellent…

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8. What would a tourist go to see in your hometown?

I think Isfahan has many historical places and it’s very popular with tourists
for that reason. There are many ancient places and they are worth seeing. In
my opinion Siosepul is very exciting to see and I think most tourists who go to
Isfahan visit Siosepul too…

9. How do people spend their weekends in your home town/village?

Well, in the north, usually people spend their free time in the nature seeing
beautiful natural landscapes, unfortunately nowadays children spend their
time watching television which is a pity in my opinion, they also play games
too…

10. What public transport is available in your hometown?

Well, there are taxis and buses just like any other part of the country,
unfortunately there is no subway and the buses are not very comfortable
they are very old noisy buses and the taxis are very expensive and you can’t
really go around the town in taxis. I think we have to put up with the buses…

11. Is it a system that you would recommend to others?

Well, the public system in my city is a system that I have to recommend to
others I mean the taxis are very expensive and then there is no other way
except taking buses, the subway is extremely crowded during rush hours so I
wouldn’t recommend it to the elderly…

12. Tell me about the most important festival or celebration in your

country.
I think the most important celebration not only in my city but all over the
country is the Noruz celebration, it’s an exciting celebration I mean people
get ready for the arrival of the new year and they go shopping and the
shopping centers are all very crowded and people clean their houses and
they prepare everything for the new year…

13. What would you suggest a visitor should see and do in your country?
Well, first of all I think I would recommend the natural spas, there are many
of them in my hometown, and they are very healthy too. There are also the
riverbanks and the lakes which I would strongly recommend, most of the
riverbanks have been landscaped and therefore they are very exciting to look
at, you can also go cruising in the lake and enjoy watching the wildlife.

14. Tell me about the tourist attractions in your country?

Well, there are many different places which are popular with tourists in my
country, and each city has its own recreational facilities, historical places and
also its own nature, I think tourists can choose various cities to visit according
to their own preferences, for instance the northwest of the country in a
mountainous area with cold temperature and an extraordinary nature and
wildlife, and the North is full of jungles and rivers; on the other hand, the
South and the center is hot and more like a desert full of historical places …

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15. Tell me about the kind of foreign visitors or tourists who go to your
country?
Well, actually we have foreign visitors from all over the world but mostly we
receive visitors from the European countries and the East Asian countries,
and they are usually interested in ancient places and they go to visit the
south and the center of the country, and also we have a lot of tourists who go
to the natural spas in the northwest for health reasons, we have visitors from
Arab countries and also some other Muslim countries who would like to visit
Shiite Holy places in the northeast and the center of the country…

16. How important is tourism in your country?

I think tourism is a very lucrative and exciting business and it is important for
the country and considering the tourist attractions in the country, it has to be
important for the government and the people, but unfortunately despite all
the advantages that we have, the government and the people don’t seem to
be paying much attention to this matter and there are not enough facilities
for tourists in the country…

 Your personal interests/ leisure activities

Sample Questions:
1. What are your favorite leisure activities?
Well, I have lots of different kinds of leisure activities, but in my free time
I mainly read books, I read poetry and books concerning religious matters.
I also play video games usually car race games, but I try not to indulge in
playing games, and let me think, going out with friends is my favorite too,
we usually go mountain climbing or driving…

2. How do you spend your free time?

Well, in my free time I mostly spend my time reading books, I read poetry
and books concerning religious matters. I also play video games usually
car race games, but I try not to indulge in playing games, and let me think,
going out with friends is my favorite too, we usually go mountain climbing
or driving…

3. Can you talk about your hobbies?

Well, I have lots of different kinds of hobbies, my most favorite hobby is
reading books; I read poetry and books concerning scientific
breakthroughs. I also play video games usually football games, but I try
not to indulge in playing spree, and let me think, going out with friends is
my favorite hobby too, we usually go mountain climbing or driving…

4. What are you mainly interested in?

Sports, yes sports are my main interest; I am actually a fitness freak, I
work out 4 or 5 times a week and that really keeps me in shape, and I am

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also keen on cars especially classic cars and I usually spend my weekend
on my car …

5. Do you like reading in your free time?

Yes of course, reading is my favorite, I read whenever I get some free
time, and I mostly read scientific matters such as astronomy, medicine
and stuff like that, it ‘s good to have some basic information regarding
various fields, I also like reading poetry, I read Sa’adi and Hafez mostly.

6. Are you keen on sports?

Sports, yes of course sports are my main interest; I am actually a fitness
freak, I work out 4 or 5 times a week and that really keeps me in shape I
play football most of the time, I am also interested in marshal arts in
particular Judo, I have been practicing Judo for about ten years and I also
have participated in numerous Judo tournaments…

7. Do you have much spare time?

Well, unfortunately recently, I haven’t had much free time really, I work
about 12 hours a day, I have to work overtime, so it’s really tough work
and that’s because we recently accepted a new project, but before the
project I had a lot of spare time I spent my spare time with the family we
went out together and life was all great…

8. Do you like cooking?

I love cooking, especially I love making cakes, in my free time it’s me in
the kitchen making different kinds of cakes. I also like making pizza, I
throw whatever handy onto the dough and it is usually very delicious, I
have never taken any cooking courses, to tell you the truth I just learned
to cook by reading cookbooks …

9. What are the foods you like/dislike?

I’m very easy-going I mean I like all kinds of foods, vegetarian foods, diet
foods, junk foods whatever, so I don’t really dislike any kind of food.
However since I am very careful about my health I only eat health food,
and I eat whatever providing it is healthy, and as a matter of fact if I don’t
eat some kind of food it is only because I try to avoid it for health
reasons…

10. What kinds of television programs do you watch?

I rarely watch TV, so I don’t really have any kind of interest; well let me
think I sometimes watch the news so you could say news programs are
my favorite TV programs and I watch a movie once a week or a fortnight
so I guess I watch movies too, but not on television…

11. Do you usually see your friends in your free time?

I used to, I mean I did before I got married, since then I have spent most
of my free time with my wife, nowadays we go out together we do
everything together, but sometimes I invite friends over to dinner and

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some of them are married too so we have a kind of monthly reunion

which reminds us of the past…

12. What kind of new food would you like to try?

Well, I’m mostly interested in my country’s traditional foods. And I have
tried almost all of them actually, but recently they opened up a Japanese
restaurant in our neighborhood and my friends have tried their food and
they say it’s delicious so I am really curious to know how delicious it is, I
think I may try their foods next week…

13. Do you prefer home-cooked food or food from the restaurant?

I mostly prefer home-cooked food, especially food cooked by my wife,
she is very good at cooking, and I really adore her cooking, you know
these days you can’t really trust the foods from the restaurants, you don’t
know what you really are eating, so I prefer not to endanger my health
and eat my wife’s cooking…

14. How do usually people in your city spend their free time?
I think various age groups in my city spend their free time differently, but
on the whole I think people in my city mostly watch television programs,
especially some serials in their free time, families go out to parks and
spend a nice evening sitting and playing on the lawn and couples usually
go to the movies or go shopping or window shopping, teenagers mostly
play sports or video games in their free time…

15. How do you usually spend your holidays?

We usually take a trip to the north or the northwest of the country, and
we visit different places, go swimming in the sea or go mountain climbing,
but sometimes we stay home and we spend some time together and I
wash my car or do some chores around the house, I also water the plants
and spade the garden if it’s necessary.

16. How do you usually spend your weekend?

We usually take a trip to the north or the northwest of the country, and
we visit different places, go swimming in the sea or go mountain climbing,
but sometimes we stay home over the weekend and we spend some time
together and I wash my car or do some chores around the house, I also
water the plants and spade the garden if it’s necessary.

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Part 2
Sample Cards with Sample Answers

Describe a city or a town you know well.

You should include in your answer:

The location of the city or town

The part of the city or town you are most familiar with
Important landmarks and places to visit
… and what makes that city or town special to you and to others

When the word city comes into my mind it makes me start thinking about my
hometown which is Tehran.
Well, Tehran is located north of Iran and is the capital city of my country and it is also
one of the largest cities in the world. Geographically it is very fascinating because it's
like a plate and as you move from the center of this plate to its outer parts it
becomes more mountainous. This city is somehow dry with very short periods of rain
and it has somehow cold winters. Its people are friendly like any other part of our
country. It's just that it is a little crowded and as a matter of fact traffic is heavy most
of the time specifically during rush hours and holidays. Oh, did I mention about its
population? Well I have to say that it is very crowded and busy most of the time.

There is something nice about the city, well actually about its outskirts which really
appeals to me and that would be the suburban and the rural areas and actually the
landscapes located near this city. One can simply have access to nice places and
evidentially people visit these places over the weekends.

The city is very big and obviously I don’t know many parts of it but since I have been
a teacher and I have been working here I know most of its schools. I also know the
northern part of our city pretty well because my university was located there and
there were times we used to take a walk with our friends in the vicinity of our
university so it helped me know the neighboring parts of the university really well.

Unlike many of my townsmen who say it is very crowded and polluted I think there
are some very nice points about the city that makes me adore it. For example it is
very good for those who want to find a nice university and continue their studies.
There are some very good universities in the city and actually it is one of the most
important factors that makes me like a city a lot. There is also another good point
and it is the factories and companies that are in the heart of the city as well as its
outskirts. As a matter of fact it makes it very easy for people to find lucrative jobs

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and even set up their own businesses. In addition to these things there are also some
nice parks, museums and cultural centers that people can visit and enjoy. I said
museums; yes I can say that one will enjoy a lot visiting them because they are
mostly about Iranian handicrafts which are really fascinating. For example carpets
are very famous here and they attract even a lot of tourists.

Talk about a holiday you have taken recently or at some time in

the past.

You should include in your answer:

Where you went on your holiday

Why you went to this particular place
What you did and with whom
… and whether you enjoyed your holiday or not

Well, I guess it is very fascinating for an outdoor type of personality to remember

where he went on his last holiday.

The place I want to talk about is a village located in the north of Iran. Since the place
is located near the sea it is very humid and it is because of the humidity that you can
find lots of trees and plants growing wildly in the place.

Well as I said, the village has so many trees and as a matter of fact the weather there
is very clean. Oh, and it is not just the weather that persuaded me to visit the place,
in fact the village is so peaceful that when you arrive at the city, you can hardly
believe people dwell in that area.

It is also worth mentioning that since the weather was very nice we could see many
picturesque places. I said picturesque, well, I remember the very small waterfall we
came across once which was a unique experience for me.
I visited the place to revitalize myself and I am so glad that it turned out to be so.

One of the interesting points of this holiday was that I was not alone. Actually I was
with my best friend who helped me find the place. I remember before going on this
exciting holiday we started to gather information to see if we could find a suitable
place that we could both enjoy.

Together we went fishing and swimming and I am really happy that he enjoyed this
holiday too. Oh, I also read a few fascinating short stories too which indeed added to
the pleasure of the holiday.

All and all I enjoyed a lot and I guess my friend did too because in the end, we were
very invigorated and I think that is what most of the people crave for.

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Describe a health problem you once had

(or talk about someone else’s problem)

You should mention:

The nature of the health problem

Why the problem occurred
What you (or the other person) could not do because of the
problem
… what you (or the other person) had to do to get better

Since the medical science progresses day by day the germs cannot be an important
threat to human beings anymore, nevertheless, no matter how sophisticated science
is, the mental problems are of great concern. This is actually what I am going to talk
about. Well actually it didn’t happen to me but the one suffering from depression
was one of my closest friends and it was very difficult for me to see him unable to
continue his normal life.

As you know these sorts of diseases do not have any obvious symptoms like cold or
cholera. It is somehow deep down inside the psyche that is actually impaired. As a
matter of fact on the surface one might not be able to notice such problems.

I think my friend who was evidently a talented and strong person developed the
condition because of the loss of his dad who was not only a father but a close friend
to him. My poor friend was so much in pain and agony that he almost forgot about
his health and just started brooding over this bereavement.

He could no longer keep up with his daily routines including his studies and his job.
He didn’t even talk to me about all the pain he was going through. His health
condition was just getting worse and there was not much I could do about it.

I couldn't wait any longer to see him deteriorating and I finally looked for a
dexterous psychologist and I am really glad that such a thought just crossed my
mind. The doctor, once again, widened his horizon and taught him how to get back
to normal life. Of course, that was nothing simple but the signs of recuperation were
obvious after a couple weeks had passed. He is now back to his normal life, and I am
so happy that he has gained this great experience that he himself has the right to
live.

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Describe a book, magazine, or newspaper article that you have

read and that interested you.

You should say:

When and where you read it

What it was about
What you felt about it

And explain why you found it particularly interesting.

For someone who is fond of books and reads a lot it is somehow difficult to choose
among the many books he has read.

Well it was exactly a couple days ago when I finished reading this fascinating book, it
is one the most useful books I have ever read. I read it at the office, I mean as soon
as I got some free time I would begin reading it,

This remarkable book I read was about stress. Well, I guess it’s better to mention its
name which speaks for the content. Its name was "how to stop worrying and start
living. This book contained very practical issues regarding stress and it discussed
different techniques in order to control it.

There was something in the book that sounded extraordinary to me; it was that most
of the people mentioned in the book were famous and important people but they
too had stress problems and their lives were somehow ruined.

An interesting point about the book was that it included some real names and
addresses and one could actually trace the people who were once suffering from this
problem but now had a very prosperous life. The book also gave an exact account of
the ways these people conquered stress. There was another point which was also
very remarkable and it was the formula the writer presented which appeared very
simple but in the meantime very useful.

I am really happy that I ran into this book among the second-hand books I usually
buy and I am very eager to visit the same place and see if I can find some more books
of this type. I will definitely give this book to my friends to read it and make use of it
so that they will be able to improve their lives.

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Describe a game that you have played and enjoyed.

You should say:

When you last played the game

Who you played it with
How you felt when you played it

And explain why you enjoyed it.

Well I used to play team games a couple of years ago when I was in high school. I will
never forget those days when my friends and I used to play football at school for
hours. The interesting point about those days and those games was that they were
team sports and not individual sports. But nowadays since all my friends are busy
and we rarely meet one another, we seldom play games together.

Back then we were a group of five or six who were always together and whenever
we were free we would play football. The thing was that we were very intimate and
we were together most of the time even when we wanted to study our lessons
because we even helped one another with the homework.
I still remember that every time we were together we would have such a gorgeous
time that would practically rejuvenate all of us. Well, it was not only playing games
but also an activity that taught us a lot and drew us more intimate. For example I still
remember the sense of competition we had. Because there were kids who were very
good at football so it was a real challenge for us to play against them. Evidentially we
would sometimes lose the games.

The most important reason I feel nostalgic about those days and the most important
reason I remember those games whenever someone says "games" is that I was fond
of group sports and it was such an interesting experience for me to be among some
of my intimate friends and gain experiences. Another reason I enjoyed those games
is that they were played outdoors. In fact I am a type of person who is a fan of
outdoor games

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Describe an important event in your life.

You should say:

When it was
What happened at that time
How you felt

And explain why it was important for you.

I think a couple of events have happened in my life that can be classified as turning
points and they changed my life drastically.
I was exactly eighteen that some important things happened to me one after
another without giving me a break.

One of the most important things that changed my life drastically was finding a job
and starting a new way of life. I say important because when someone finds a job he
gradually becomes independent and he starts to think about his life more and more.
I still remember that when I got involved in the job, although I knew it was a part
time job, I started to think that a new approach toward life must be taken. I thought
to myself that it was time for me to act like grown-ups and to plan what I wanted to
be in future.

I felt that I was responsible for my life and that my parents took a secondary
position. This way I could not expect anyone else to make decisions for me and to be
with me all the time.

I guess since then I have become more watchful of the things that are related to my
life. As an example, I can say that I was not dependant on my dad and didn’t receive
allowance. Actually that was what I craved for. But in fact if someone wants to
experience such independence he has to plan things carefully and that is the most
difficult part of the story. Now that I think about those days I see that I have made
very few mistakes and have progressed as I moved on. I think this is the most
important event that taught me a lot about life.

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Describe a member of your family who you are very close to.

You should say:

Who the family member is

How you like that family member
How you differ from the family member

And explain why you are close to him/her.

Well, actually in my family we are all close to one another and we have good
relationship with one another, but there is always someone you feel very close to
even when you compare him with your Mom and Dad who are the closest to you in
the world. The one I am talking about is my older brother.

As I mentioned before, in my family members are very close to one another and it is
very obvious that I have a very intimate relationship with my brother and as a matter
of fact I like him very much.
In fact, we share a lot of characteristics but as you know even brothers are different
from one another when you compare people.

The first thing that I recall is that my brother is very outgoing. He likes to be among
people and share his time with them. But unlike him, I am a reserved one and I
prefer to stay at home and read books. Oh, there is one more difference. It is that my
brother is a little opinionated at times and it makes him look a little obstinate which I
really don’t like. But talking about liveliness, well, let me say that he is energetic. I
mean very energetic. I always envy him because I look very neutral in most of the
cases and that is what bothers most of the people who get in touch with me.

The reason we are very close to each other is that he is my twin brother. But he is
older than me. Actually he is a couple of seconds older. I think being twin brothers
has drawn us together more and more. And it has made our relationship very
especial. Just imagine that we have spent our life together since the embryonic
stage. Then you might have an idea of what I am talking about.

IELTS Speaking 21
 Part 2 Samples

Describe a toy that you loved playing with as a child

You should say:

How and when you acquired it

What length of time you kept it for
What condition it was in when you disposed of it

And explain why you loved playing with it.

As a child I was mostly interested to play with my friends outdoors especially the
playground that was close to our house. I always had fun being with other kids
because then we could play games without having many toys. But anyway, every
child has his or her own favorite toys and he or she certainly prefers one to all the
other toys.
I remember when I was five years old my, mother bought me building blocks as a
gift. I say gift because I exactly remember that I got most of the toys as gifts because
I was a very adorable little kid back then. I still remember them since they were of
many different colors. The interesting point was that there were too many of them
so I could build whatever I wanted.

There is something very interesting about building blocks and that is no matter how
long you keep them and play with them you are still interested in playing. So I
remember even after I grew up I was still eager to use them and make different
objects.

Well, I said my parents used to buy toys as gifts for me because I have been a nice
kid. That's true. I was very neat and I always kept my room and all the things in it
very tidy. So it is obvious that such a kid would take care of his properties. I still have
some of my favorite childhood toys.

Looking back I have to say that although I was mostly willing to be with other kids
and play with them, I liked this toy very much. Whenever I think about it, even today,
it gives me a good feeling.

I think what made this toy very especial was that it involved construction. One can
use his imagination and make endless objects with building blocks. That is the reason
they always remain new and interest children.

22 IELTS Speaking
Part 2 Samples

Describe a city or town that you would like to visit.

You should say:

Where it is
How it is similar to your hometown
How it is different from your hometown

And explain why you would like to visit it.

Well, I like traveling to different places and visiting different cities and countries and
among all the cities I have visited so far I think there is one city that I haven’t visited
yet and I am very eager to travel to.

The city I am talking about is Rome which is the capital city of Italy and is located in
the central part of that country. I think it is worth mentioning that Italy itself is
located south of Europe.

The first similarity between my native city and Rome is that they are both the capital
cities and this makes them particularly important. Well, there is also another point
and it is the people. The people in southern part of Europe are very friendly and
hospitable and it is true about our country too because wherever you go in our
country, no matter south or north, you come across people that welcome you very
warmly. People are very friendly and sociable also have families with very intimate
relationships.
Another thing to mention is the weather. Actually the climate in Rome is that of a
warm one and that is also true about my hometown.

Well, talking about the difference I have to say that Rome has got many historic
buildings and generally it is considered a very ancient city, while on the other hand
my city is an industrial one. I think it brings about a lot of changes. For example, since
Rome is a historic city a lot of people go there as tourists to visit different parts of it.

I think the most important reason I would like to visit this city is that it is an old city
with a lot of tourist attractions. I also have to mention that I think I will be very
comfortable among the people there and I will be able to communicate with them
easily.

IELTS Speaking 23
 Part 2 Samples

Describe a teacher that has influenced you in your education.

You should say:

Where you met him/her

What subject he/she taught
What was special about him/her

And explain why this person influenced you so much.

I think I’d better say that I have been very lucky as long as my education is
concerned. Maybe it was because of my hard-working that I could succeed. But on
second thought I think that is not the only reason and I have to thank God for having
all those great teachers.

The professor who affected not only my studies but also my life was the one I met at
university. It was exactly the second semester at university that I had a course with
her. And I still thank God for that very special semester.
Well, most of the professors at our university taught both general English and the
very specific course they had studied. The professor I am talking about was both
teaching general English and literature courses

I think it is better to talk about two different aspects that made her special. The first
one is concerned with her knowledge. She was, what I would like to say, erudite. By
erudite I mean, as far as I was concerned, she did not make even the slightest
mistake. And everyone knows that, no matter how knowledgeable you are, being a
non-native language user means making a lot of mistakes.

The other aspect I want to talk about is concerned with her personality. I believe that
no matter how knowledgeable a person is, he or she should be morally good too
because it is of no use to be knowledgeable and use the knowledge in a wrong or
inappropriate way. Well, the person I am talking about is kind, considerate and very
punctual.
I think her impression on me was made when I was in her class for the first time. It
was my first session and I had been absent the previous session when she had asked
the class to prepare the first lesson of the book. Nobody was prepared except me.
There she liked my sense of duty and hardworking, and I realized that she was a
competent and sympathetic professor.

24 IELTS Speaking
Part 2 Samples

Describe a film or a TV program which has made a strong

impression on you.

You should say:

What kind of film or TV program it was, e.g. comedy

When you saw the film or TV program
What the film or TV program was about

And explain why this film or TV program made such an

impression on you.

Personally I prefer to watch documentaries. Well of course it doesn’t mean I don't

like the other types of programs for instance I like watching successful movies too.
By successful I mean those that have a very good theme and try to deal with some
important issues about life.
The TV program I want to talk about is a documentary which I watched a couple of
weeks ago. One night when I was just changing the channels before going to bed, I
accidentally saw that there was this program on and I could not help watching.
The documentary I watched was about sleeping and its effects. It also discussed the
changes that would occur after having a good night's sleep.

I think the most important reason that documentaries interest me a lot is that they
are very informative. For example, in that program I learned that sleeping is not a
mere rest and it also helps the brain to form new pathways for the formation of new
memories which is very important especially in learning because when we are
learning something our brain needs a period of rest during which the information is
stored and put into groups that are easily accessible. The other reason I watch such
programs is that they are in English and I can improve my English too. And also take
note that among different programs documentaries are the only ones that would
rarely need censoring therefore you don’t miss anything.

IELTS Speaking 25
 Part 2 Samples

Describe a memorable event in your life.

You should say:

When the event took place

Where the event took place
What happened exactly

And explain why this event was memorable for you.

I think I have experienced many important events in my life. But there are certain
events that one can hardly forget.
I was twenty-three and I was studying at university when this remarkable event took
place. It was an event that resulted in series of other significant moments that will
always remain fresh in my memory.
You know, before special things happen, one might think that special things happen
in special places. But quite unbelievably, things happen when you do not expect
them. It was right in the corridor of the first floor of our university building that this
memorable event happened.

The thing I am talking about is the first time I met my wife. Before that I did not have
even the slightest idea that the most important person in my entire life would be
someone I would meet at university. I still remember every second of it. It all started
from a very gentle smile. Afterwards, just like any other relationship, it went on quite
naturally and normally.

I think everyone agrees with me that getting married is the most important event
that can possibly happen to a person in his or her entire life. I have been thinking
about marriage for quite a long time and I always thought of it as an obstacle. I
always thought that if someone fails in choosing the right person, his life will be
devastated. All these thoughts that crossed my mind would actually send a shiver
down my spine. Now that I see that I have met the right person I think it was the
most miraculous thing to happen. It was an event that changed my entire life to a
better one.

26 IELTS Speaking
Part 2 Samples

Describe something you own which is important to you

You should say:

Where you got it from

How long you have had it
What you use it for

And explain why it is so important to you.

Among all the properties someone owns there are specific things that are not merely
objects. There is a world behind them. For example, a lot of good memories can be
evoked by only a very small piece of jewelry which is given to a person as a gift
because actually it is not the cost of the gift but its sentimental value and a world of
other invisible qualities attached to it which makes it unforgettable and valuable.

I said gift because the thing which is very important to me was given to me as a gift
and I did not buy it. I still remember the very exact moment I received it. It was my
birthday three years ago and a very intimate friend of mine gave it to me. Well, this
friend of mine knew that I am fond of books and I really appreciate a good book. I
think he just knew that the book he would give me will leave a great impression on
me because he is a sort of person who reads a lot. Evidentially he knows a lot of
good books. The book he gave me did not merely occupy my spare time. It changed
my opinion towards a few very important issues of life. This book is still with me and
every time I read it I experience the very impression I had the first time I read it and
once again I find out how useful it is.

As I said the reason this book is so important to me is that it changed my opinion

about some important issues. This book contains a lot of life experiences of so many
famous and successful people. For example, as I went through these experiences I
realized how hardworking these people were. I also realized that no matter how
tough their lives were they never give up.

IELTS Speaking 27
 Part 2 Samples

Describe an interest or hobby that you enjoy.

You should say:

How you became interested in it

How long you have been doing it
Why you enjoy it

And explain what benefits you get from this interest or hobby.

There are a few things I do in my free time and I enjoy all of them. But if I want to
mention one that is the most enjoyable I would say reading books.

The main reason I became interested in reading was my uncle. I had a close
relationship with my uncle and he encouraged me to read books. I remember exactly
that he was one of those people who acted logically most of the time. He was
somehow different from others and he could work out a lot of his issues while
maintaining his calm manner. Generally he seemed very experienced to me although
he was young. We were once talking about his success in life and it was exactly then
that he told me that he had learned a lot from books. Right after saying that, he
stressed that he hadn’t gone through whatever he had found. He said that one
should read after getting expert opinion from people who have been reading for
quite a long time and so they know a lot of good books.

I remember I was fourteen when all that happened. Since then I have become more
interested in reading. You know, you get interested more and more because as you
go on you see the good changes.

As I pointed out, my uncle could work out his issues and handle his life better. I think
it is the most important reason why I enjoy reading. You know, for example, when
you read a novel you live through the novel and you experience what the characters
of that novel experience. You put yourself in their position and you go along with
them in every step they take.

There are also other reasons. For example, when I read a good book I am so
absorbed in it that I forget all my problems. It is as if my mind is set free from all the
things that tire me out.

28 IELTS Speaking
Part 2 Samples

Describe an interesting historic place.

You should say:

What it is
Where it is located
What you can see there now

And explain why this place interested you.

Well, I think there are so many interesting historic places all around the world. But
what I am going to talk about have attracted me a lot. They are so famous that I
think everyone has heard of them.

I think everyone has heard of the pyramids of Egypt. Actually, they are historical
tombs which were built many years ago as tombs for ancient Egyptian kings known
as pharaohs.

Obviously, they are located in Egypt which is a country in north east Africa.
Well, as one goes there he notices that there are so many of them spread in the
area. The noticeable point is that they don’t come in one size. It is said the more
important the king was, the bigger the pyramid would be. Another thing worth
mentioning is that they are not built only for one king and some of them contain
different kings from different periods. There are even bodies of the family members
of the kings in these pyramids too.

The most important thing that dazzles every visitor is the size of the pyramids.
Centuries ago they built something very huge that man would gape at. The fact that
in those days there were not any cranes or other machinery to help the people build
these structures baffles the visitors even more. All the work was done manually or
with the aid of sledges, levers and rollers. The point that amazes the visitors even
more is that one cannot possibly find rocks in the vicinity of the place which means
that people used to carry all the rocks from afar. Apart from the extraordinary
construction, there is one lesson that you will not forget after you visit this place. It is
that no matter how powerful kings are, they will all die just like any other immortal
creature.

IELTS Speaking 29
 Part 2 Samples

Describe a useful website you have visited.

You should say:

What the website was

How you found the address for this website
What the website contained

And explain why it was useful to you.

I think browsing the World Wide Web to find different types of information has
become a part of our daily routines, because as the days go by the service providers
get better and better and people will be able to find more information on the net.
The website which was very useful for me was www.nis.ir and it was actually an
educational website designed for the IELTS candidates.

Unlike many people who find different useful stuff on internet accidentally, I was
recommended to visit it. Once I was in an IELTS class talking to one of my classmates
about some sources that contain lots of things for IELTS including vocabulary and
exercises. He told me that he would send an e-mail to me to give me the address of a
site he was using to increase his knowledge. He said that he had known the site for
quite a while and that he could simply have access to the stuff I was craving for.

As I said, the site was an educational one and it contained whatever I needed. For
example, the IELTS exam has a speaking section and in that section the candidates
are asked to talk about a card given to them for a bout two minutes. The card asks
for different information regarding a specific topic. I remember this part was always
nightmare for me because I had never seen a sample answer of that type of question
anywhere. But, as I browsed this site I realized the site includes a lot of these
samples. the website also contained some useful vocabulary lists. I remember
looking for vocabulary lists that were specifically applicable in IELTS. No matter how
long I searched I couldn’t find such things. But there I found vocabulary lists not only
useful for the reading section but also for the speaking section. The reason it was
very useful was that I could simply log on to the net and have access to everything I
wanted on line. It saved me a lot of time.

30 IELTS Speaking
Part 2 Samples

Talk about a particular classmate that you admire in some way.

You should say:

Who that person is and where he or she comes from

When you first met each other
What you have done together

And explain why you admire this person.

I remember that I had so many friends among my classmates when I was studying at
university. But, among a group of different people, there is always someone you feel
very close to, and I was no exception. Among all my classmates, there was one I
admired a lot. Well, there was no foreign student in our university and this very
intimate classmate of mine is a fellow citizen. But we were from different parts of
the city. Actually, he lived in the suburbs and I had an apartment downtown.

The first time we met was actually in a class. I still remember, that semester I took
literature with one of the best professors of the university. I remember the class
because I like literature a lot and so does my friend. He is fond of literature and he
has studied so many works of famous writers.
After a while we got to know each other more and more because we were both
interested in the same subject and we knew a lot about it, therefore we had a lot to
share. The first thing we did together after talking about different novels and stories
was reading books and discussing the very elements of those books. It was a
profound experience to talk to some professional reader who had a lot to say about
a subject.

Well, the first and the most important reason I like this person is that he is very
hardworking. Perseverance is what I found in him and it is something I appreciate a
lot. I also like his point of view. He looks at things in a different way and he sees
things that I miss. I mean, I learn a lot when I am with him. Oh, there is also another
reason I like this person very much. He is very friendly and easygoing.
After all those years we were at university, we are still bosom friends and we still do
a lot together.

IELTS Speaking 31
 Part 2 Samples

Describe a school or university you are now attending or

attended in the past.

You should say:

Where the school/university is and what it looks like

What subjects you are studying or studied
What the people were like

And explain how the school/university affected your life.

When I think about the schools and universities I attended I have this feeling that I
have been very lucky because most of the schools and universities I entered were
excellent.

But this specific school I want to talk about is a private school which is located on the
corner of Main Street and Fifth Avenue. The building has a very spectacular exterior
which looks very modern and as you walk inside the building you see that the
interior is also very modern - well-furnished and well-equipped. Well the school was
actually a co-educational language school and students from different countries
attended the classes in order to study English.

As I mentioned, the school had so many students from different parts of the world.
But it was very interesting to see people who did not have a lot in common but had
gathered together in classes and cooperated with one another. I guess the thing we
all had in common, I mean learning, could very well draw us together. It was as if we
were bonded by something because we could simply interact although in the
beginning we did not have very much to say. Well, as everyone knows English is an
international language. It is the language people of the world use to communicate
with one another. Therefore studying this language had a lot of advantages for me.
Everyone knows that nowadays nations have developed their relations with one
another and as a matter of fact this brought about the need for more
communication. I myself have seen so many people who are multilingual. They
needed to talk different languages to be able to handle their occupational issues. The
same thing was true about me. After I learned English I was able to communicate
with foreign firms and cooperate with them. I was also able to read different good
books and watch so many fantastic movies which were only offered in their native
language which was English.

As the days go by I realize that learning this language had a lot of advantages and I
am very glad that I learnt it.

32 IELTS Speaking
Part 2 Samples

Describe an interesting book that you have recently read.

You should say:

When and where you read it

What the story was
Why you read this particular book

And explain why you enjoyed reading this particular book

For a person who is fond of books and reads a lot, it is somehow difficult to choose
among the many books he has read.
Well it was exactly a couple days ago when I finished reading this fascinating book
which was one of the most useful books I have ever read. Since I may have some free
time at work, I can read books at the office. It gives me a good sense of feeling to be
able to take advantage of the free time even if it is very short.
This remarkable book I read was about stress. Well, I guess it is better to mention its
title which speaks for itself. It was called "how to stop worrying and start living. This
book contained very practical issues regarding stress and it discussed different ways
of overcoming it.

There was something in the book that sounded extraordinary to me; most of the
people mentioned in the book were famous and important people but they too had
stress problems and their lives were somehow impaired. The turning point of this
book was that there were some real names and addresses mentioned and one could
actually trace the people who were once suffering from this problem but now have a
very prosperous life. The book also gave an exact account of the ways these people
conquered stress. There was another point which was also very remarkable and it
was the formula the writer gave which appeared very simple but in the meantime
very useful. I am really happy that I came across this book among the second-hand
books I usually buy and I am very eager to visit the same place and see if I can find
some more books of this type. I will definitely give this book to my friends to read, so
that they will be able to improve their lives.

IELTS Speaking 33
 Part 2 Samples

Talk about a product that you regularly buy.

Your answer should include:

A description of the product

When and where you buy the product
What you do with it

And explain why you buy that particular product.

There are a lot of things that people use which help them live a more comfortable
life. But there are things that people use more and as a matter of fact they have
become an inseparable part of their lives. Among the products people use we can
mention those which help them remain healthy. Well, if I were to mention one of
the products that help people maintain their health, I think I would say dental floss.
It is a soft and strong thread used to remove the food particles from between one’s
teeth. It is worth mentioning that dental floss is offered in two waxed and unwaxed
types. I mean, some of them have fluoride and some don’t. I have recently noticed
that there are also some types of floss that are offered in the form of tapes.

Buying dental floss is not that troublesome because they are easily found and it
takes a long time to use up a roll. I think most of the products related to health are
offered in drug stores. They can also be found in shops where cosmetics are sold.
Well, people mostly eat three times a day in my country, that is what I do too and
after I have my meal I floss my teeth. It is very simple when you get used to it but in
the beginning it might seem a little difficult to handle the floss because it must be
tied around the forefingers and then put into the space between the teeth. The
difficult part may be when you want to move the floss up and down to remove the
particles because since it is made of nylon it is very difficult to hold it.
Actually I buy the ones that contain fluoride because fluoride is what makes the
teeth remain healthy and it prevents the formation of cavities and plaques.
I think everyone must take care of his or her health because when you are not
healthy you can’t life a normal life.

34 IELTS Speaking
Part 2 Samples

Describe a place that you would like to visit.

You should say:

Where it is located
How you found out about this particular place
What you expect to see there

And explain why you would like to visit this particular place

Well, among so many interesting places that exist on Earth, I prefer the historic
places. The place I am going to talk about is so famous that I think almost everyone
has heard of it. I think everyone has heard of the pyramids of Egypt. Actually, they
are historical tombs which were built many years ago for the ancient Egyptian kings
known as the pharaohs.

Obviously, they are located in Egypt which is a country in north east Africa.
I have read a lot about these pyramids in books but I was more interested in visiting
them when I went to a travel agency to get some information about them.
Well, I have heard that as one goes there he notices that there are so many of them
scattered all over the area. The remarkable point is that they are not in one size. It is
said the more important the king was, the bigger the pyramid would be. Another
thing worth mentioning is that they are not built for only one king and some of them
contain different kings from different periods. There are even bodies of the family
members of the kings in these pyramids too.

The most important thing which dazzles me is the size of the pyramids. Centuries ago
they built something very huge and people nowadays gape at the scenery. The fact
that in those days there weren’t any cranes or other machines to help the people
build these structures baffles me even more. All the work was done manually or with
the aid of sledges, levers or rollers. The point that amazes me even more is that one
cannot possibly find rocks in the vicinity of the place which means that people used
to carry all the rocks from other faraway places. Apart from the incredible
construction, I think visiting this place would teach a long-lasting lesson too. I think I
would realize more and more that no matter how powerful some people are, they all
die just like any other immortal creature.

IELTS Speaking 35
 Part 3 Samples

Part 3

1. Food, eating habits and health

1. What are the main eating habits in your country?

I think Iranians love to eat, and since they're naturally hospitable and sociable, food
is the basis of their social life. Unfortunately their staple ingredient is rice. You know,
because the feeling of fulfillment after eating rice is relatively short-lived, they eat
three meals a day and two snacks in between. Iranians especially country folk, rise
early. Some Iranians eat a snack around 10:30 which includes tea and some biscuits,
plus an evening snack or mid-afternoon snack. Rural folk eat their main meal at
midday, while city dwellers mostly eat in the afternoon. On the whole the main diet
of families is usually rice, meat or chicken, vegetables with starchy snacks. At fiesta
time, all families try to eat rice and meat or chicken.

2. Have the eating habits in your country changed over the last 20 years?
Yes, certainly, the traditional eating habits in my country were the healthiest in the
whole world, people consumed more dairy products, and whole milk was consumed
even during the main courses, the fermented forms of dairy products such as yogurt
was a necessity. They also consumed lamb, beef and fish. They used legumes such as
black beans, chick peas, lentils, red beans in their dishes. They included a lot of
vegetables such as potatoes and eggplants in their dishes, bread made of wheat or
barley was also very common. Therefore they lived a long and healthy life,
unfortunately these days people consume more fast foods which include more fat
and oil, their main drink is coke which is replete with sugar I think people’s eating
habits nowadays are very unhealthy and harmful.

3. In what ways are the eating habits of the people in your country going to
change in the future?
Although I can't see into the future, I can make an educated guess based on the state
of the world's health, nutrition trends and what's happening in the world of
children's nutrition education. And these factors will ultimately influence children's
food choices in the coming years. Among the most notable changes are increasing
consumption rate of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk
products. Rising awareness about obesity and health problems, I’m sure, has
resulted in a new host of public education initiatives. I believe that established habits
won't change overnight, but change is coming.

4. Do people nowadays have a healthy diet in your country?

Today, Iran is characterized by a high increase in modernization and the traditional
diet of the Iranians has been affected by modernization. And unfortunately
modernization has created significant changes in food consumption patterns in Iran.
Nowadays with the expansion of food industries, and advertising campaigns
promoting certain foods such as soda, candy bars people and especially the new
generation consumes more unhealthy foods and therefore their diet is not a healthy
one. Fast-food restaurant chains are also altering traditional diets. The expansion of

36 IELTS Speaking
Part 3 Samples

fast food has resulted in the population consuming processed foods such as sweets
and snack foods, which can never be a part of their nutritional sustenance.

5. Are people in your country consuming more fast foods nowadays? Why?
Of course, I think fast food is one of the fastest growing food types in Iran. I read
somewhere it now accounts for roughly half of all restaurant revenues in Iran and it
continues to expand not only in Iran but also in the whole world. But the growth is
occurring more rapidly in Iran which is in the developing world, where people
radically are changing the way they eat. I think People buy fast food because it's
cheap, quick, and heavily promoted. But its benefits can be deceptive. Unfortunately
meals devoured in the car or at our desks are replacing home-cooked food enjoyed
with family and friends. Around the world, traditional diets and recipes are yielding
to sodas, burgers, and other highly processed and standardized items that are high in
fat, sugar, and salt—fuelling a global epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic
illnesses.

6. To what extent have the media affected the eating habits of the people?
I believe the mass media are to blame. The media allow TV commercials promoting
fast foods, junk foods even in the middle of children’s programs, most of the
commercials in Iran these days are advertising junk foods. Unfortunately nowadays
with the expansion of food industries, and advertising campaigns promoting certain
foods such as soda, candy bars people and especially the new generation consume
more unhealthy foods and therefore their diet is not a healthy one. The educational
programs promoting healthy diets are broadcast when children are either asleep or
at school.

7. To what extent has people’s health been affected by their eating habits?
Well, the effect on health is an obvious one, for instance the wide use of olive oil in
food preparation contributes to a more healthy diet and the result is the cultures
commonly known for lower blood pressure among their populations. Or for example
in countries where people consume more fish and dairy products, the average life
expectancy is higher, on the other hand In the United States, an estimated 65
percent of adults are overweight or obese, which is the direct consequence of fast
food consumption or that children who drink sodas and other sugar-sweetened
drinks are more often obese.

2. Public transport and traffic

1. What are the main modes of transport in your city?

Due to the lack of an advanced public transport system, using private cars is the
most popular mode of transport in Iran and people usually commute from and to
work in their personal cars, in Tehran public transport includes the bus system, the
subway and the taxis, I believe subway is the fastest and the most comfortable mode
of transport, therefore the government is trying to increase the subway lines and
trains. Unfortunately taxis are very old and uncomfortable, even though they are
very expensive therefore most people prefer to use the buses.

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2. Do people in your country prefer their private cars to the public transport?
Why?
Well yes, unfortunately people prefer their private cars, and in my opinion they can’t
be blamed for this. And I think gradually Tehran is changing into a big car park, I think
the main reason is the lack of an advanced public transport system, the public
transport system, I believe is inefficient and you can’t really rely on that, buses are
old and receive poor maintenance. Using private cars will remain the most popular
mode of transport in Iran and people will commute from and to work in their
personal cars, unless the government takes immediate action to improve the public
transport.

3. Do you have an advanced public transport in your city?

Well, honestly, our public transport is not all an advanced one, of course I accept
that there have been some great improvements in the public transport in the recent
years, however the quality of public transport does not stand a comparison with
those in other countries, such as European countries, some East Asian countries and
the USA, our public transport is old and unreliable, the taxis are expensive
nevertheless they are not in good condition I think we really need to enhance its
quality.

4. In your opinion what can be done to solve the problem of traffic?

There are actually a number of different ways to solve our traffic problem, and some
of these approaches have been used in other countries. I think to begin, the
government has to improve the public transport system by building more subway
lines and the government should also increase the buses, another way is to impose
high taxes on cars, and ban private cars from entering certain district of the city
during the day, there should be more highways and bridges as well.

5. Is it a good idea to ban private cars from entering certain districts of the
city?
I absolutely agree with this scheme, providing that the public transport is improved
and can meet the demands of the travelers even during the rush hours, otherwise
such plan will result in an absolute chaos. And another stipulation is that cars must
not be allowed into the district under any circumstances, and pass permits must not
be sold.

6. What is the best mode of transport in your city? Why?

It’s obvious, the subway. The subway is far better than all the other modes of
transport, firstly, it is the fastest and the most comfortable, you know you don’t get
stuck in traffic jams for hours, and you don’t get nervous. Secondly it’s cheap too, I
mean everyone can afford to take the subway, but unfortunately it’s not available
now all over the city, I mean there aren’t enough subway lines and subway stations.

7. What are the main problems of using the public transport in your city?
Well, unfortunately there are many problems, the first problem is its quality, the
buses and the taxis are all very old and poorly produced. They are not any air-
conditioned buses or even taxis, there are not enough buses either, the buses are

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very crowded during the rush hours and people can hardly find a bus, the buses are
old too, they may break down any moment therefore they are very unreliable.

3. Clothing, Fashion and design

1. Are you interested in fashion and designer clothes?

Well, I may sometimes follow some cultural or intellectual fashions however I can
certainly say that I’m not a fashion victim, I mean I never try to keep pace with the
latest fashions as soon as they are introduced, in my opinion fashion can be a spice
of life, even though we must be careful not to be a slave to fashion companies.

2. Why do clothes companies promote a new fashion after a short time?

Well, it has an economic basis. Companies earn huge sums of money as a new
fashion catches on, people who try to keep up with the changes in the world of
fashion have to put their formerly fashionable stuff away as one fashion falls out and
spend a lot of money on the new items they purchase. These people have fallen
victim to fashion as there is never an end to the fashion business.

3. Do you prefer international fashions to the national clothing fashions?

One can never say with certainty which one is better in terms of beauty and comfort;
however I prefer national clothing styles to international fashions, since it preserves
our cultural and national identity. I also approve of some international clothing
fashions. At times they are very professionally designed and are not against my
personal beliefs therefore I may as well wear the internationally fashionable styles
too.

4. Do clothes give status to people in your country?

Yes, definitely, I think this is a global problem. All over the world people try to
enhance their status by wearing more expensive and fashionable clothes. It is a
standard practice these days to judge people by their appearance. Social classes are
associated with certain clothes; I mean you will not be regarded as an affluent
person if you are not wearing very expensive clothes.

5. To what extent do you judge a person by his appearance?

We have got used to judging people by their appearance I think, we have been
taught to do so since we were born, and even when we try to consciously do away
with this way of thinking, we are unintentionally impressed by the way people dress.
I personally think I am no exception, since the society has taught me to do so;
nevertheless I try to think twice.

6. How do you think fashion sensation will change in the future?

Humorously speaking, fashion sensation will never go out of fashion. It is a human
need, but unfortunately fashion companies are abusing the mass, I think in the
future people will be more and more dependent on fashion, they will even bother
themselves and use things that they really hate only for the sake of fashion, and this
will be the major trend unless people start to realize the philosophy behind fashion.

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7. In your opinion who are affected by fashion and designer clothes more in
your country?
I think in my country, the young people are the main followers of current fashions;
they are severely affected by designer clothes and have let fashion designers select
the clothes that they wear. Some young people have accepted the most ridiculous
fashions and this worries me a lot.

4. Modern cities versus villages/small towns and their problems

1. What are the main facilities in a large modern city?

Well, there is a wide range of facilities in a large modern city including transport
facilities, social and recreational facilities, educational facilities and a lot more, such
as medical facilities, there are large up-to-date hospitals and schools and other
community facilities most of which are not available in a small town. Public facilities
existing in large modern city also include disabled facilities and sports facilities.

2. How do you compare a modern city with a small town?

Well, you cannot even compare the facilities available in a small town and with those
in modern cities, the existing facilities in a modern city is far more extensive that
those in a small town, I mean there is a wide range of facilities in a large modern city
including transport facilities, social and recreational facilities, educational facilities
and a lot more, such as medical facilities, there are large up-to-date hospitals and
schools and other community facilities most of which are not available in a small
town. Public facilities existing in a large modern city also include disabled facilities
and sports facilities which a small town lacks.

3. Do you prefer to live in a large modern city? Why?

Certainly, I do prefer to live in a large modern city, of course I realize the fact that
there are some disadvantages in living in a large modern city, however you cannot
compare the facilities available in small towns and modern cities, the existing
facilities in a modern city are far more extensive that those in a small town, I mean
there is a wide range of facilities in a large modern city including transport facilities,
social and recreational facilities, educational facilities and a lot more, such as medical
facilities, there are large up-to-date hospitals and schools and other community
facilities most of which are not available in a small town. Public facilities existing in a
large modern city also include disabled facilities and sports facilities which small
towns lack.

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a large modern

city?
Well, I can say most people prefer to live in a large modern city since there is a wide
range of facilities in a large modern city including transport facilities, social and
recreational facilities, educational facilities and a lot more, such as medical facilities,
there are large up-to-date hospitals and schools and other community facilities most
of which are not available in a small town. Public facilities existing in a large modern
city also include disabled facilities and sports facilities which small towns lack.
Nevertheless one can’t ignore the disadvantages either, take the hustle and bustle of

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a large modern city for instance, most large cities are crowded, noisy and at times
polluted, you can never find the peace and quiet of a small town in a large city.

5. Why do people migrate from small towns to large modern cities?

Well, people mostly migrate to large cities because firstly there aren’t adequate
facilities in small towns, some towns don’t even offer the very basic communal
facilities which makes living in these towns very difficult, people are provided with a
wide range of facilities in a large modern city including transport facilities, social and
recreational facilities, educational facilities and a lot more, such as medical facilities,
there are large up-to-date hospitals and schools and other community facilities most
of which are not available in a small town. Public facilities existing in a large modern
city also include disabled facilities and sports facilities which small towns lack.
Secondly there are more job opportunities in a large city.

6. What can be done to prevent the residents of small towns from migrating
to large modern cities?
I think in order to prevent the people from migrating to large modern cities; the
government must provide proper facilities for the residents of small towns, small
towns must provide suitable facilities for children such as leisure and library facilities,
there must also be adequate facilities for adults such as shopping, sports, training
and social facilities. The city must have all the essential communal facilities too and
finally there must be enough job opportunities for the people living in small towns.

5. Education, universities and the students

1. What changes do you foresee in the next 50 years?

I think we are departing from our traditionally-based education programs and in the
future the Education Ministry will provide more professional and vocational
education courses for the students, students will also be able to receive education
online, unfortunately we are establishing more private education centers and I think
in the future most institutions will be private and there will be very few state
education centers.

2. What are the weaknesses of the education system in you country?

The education system in my country has many shortcomings; the most important
problem is the lack of adequate education facilities and resources. And I think the
government must allocate more funds to the Education Ministry. And they must
provide the students with decent education. Another problem is the lack of a proper
education program I mean we don’t have a first-class education program in our
education centers, including primary schools, high schools and universities.

3. What are the advantages of the education system in your country?

One advantage is variety, I mean the Education Ministry in my country provides
education courses in a wide range of fields, and applicants can continue their
education in their favorite fields. Another advantage is the low price of some
education materials in my country, most of the materials we need in our fields are
affordable.

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4. Why do people mainly want to continue their studies?

People in my country continue their education for different reasons, for instance
some people do so in order to complete their studies in a certain field and have
access to more job and promotion opportunities, some people on the other hand
continue their education since this is the current norm in my society, I mean higher
education and higher degrees give them more status in the society, there is also
another group, the people in this group continue their studies because they don’t
have anything else to do.

5. What role do you think education plays in the development of your

country?
Professional higher education is regarded as the development capital of a country,
and I think my country is no exception; properly educated people can accelerate the
development of the country in various fields. They can foster and support economic,
industrial, commercial, social and educational development of the country, and I
believe that these developments are occurring in my country these days.

6. Why do you think some students leave school? And how do you compare
their reasons with the reasons of the previous generation?
Unfortunately school dropout has always been a global problem but the point is that
students drop out of school for various reasons some of which can’t be justified, in
Iran, these days, most students leave school because they don’t predict a bright
future in their field of study, they mostly say there is no future career in this field,
another reason is the financial reason, some students are not financially supported
and therefore they have to leave school in order to make a living, some students are
not satisfied with the education system and still some say that with a mediocre job in
the market they can earn even more. I think there did not use to be such a wide
range of reasons in the past.

7. What methods of learning work best for you?

I think I learn better when I am actively involved in the learning process, I mean I am
not a passive learner who could listen to a lecture for hours and take notes, I’m not
interested in rote learning either, and I believe it’s a kind of parrot learning with no
sense of reasoning, I believe computer-assisted learning works for me too, because I
don’t like the formal learning system at schools.

8. What can be done to improve the education system of your country?

The education system in my country has many shortcomings; I believe there is a lack
of adequate education facilities and resources and I think the government must
allocate more funds to the education ministry and they must provide the students
with decent education. I think there is also a lack of a proper education program I
mean we don’t have a first-class education program in our education centers,
including primary schools, high schools and universities the education ministry must
as well employ well-trained teachers, professors and researchers and must also
create a professional education committee which can prepare a first-class education
curriculum.

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9. How can applying good teachers improve the education system of your
country?
In my opinion well-educated teachers can revolutionize the education system they
can instigate a metamorphosis in the real sense of the word, well-educated and well-
paid teachers will be highly motivated to train students, they will upgrade
themselves constantly and therefore the students will receive decent education,
they pay enough attention to their students and therefore can support their
students psychologically and prevent them from leaving school.

6. Holidays, tourism and travel

1. How has tourism affected your city?

I think the impact of tourism on the economy of a country is so remarkable. Many
countries around the world are largely dependent on the revenue from tourism,
there are many hotel, shopping and holiday facilities in these countries and people
mainly work in tourism industry. In my city unfortunately there are no plans to
promote tourism. Unfortunately despite its tourism potential, Tehran is not a major
tourist destination and therefore I can say people don’t rely on the tourism business.

2. In you opinion, why do people usually travel?

Well people travel for a number of different reasons, but I think the most important
one is leisure. I mean most people take a trip over the weekend in order to refresh
their minds and spirits. I think traveling can really lift your spirits and reinvigorate
you for another rough week. Some people travel to distant places in order to visit
their relatives and there are also some who travel as tourists.

3. What are the ways to improve the tourism industry in your country?
In order to have a rise in tourism and increase our earnings from tourism, we need to
discover our tourism potential, we need to select the best tourism strategies in order
to change Tehran into a major tourism destination, it is impossible to boost our
tourism industry without first providing adequate community facilities, we need to
conduct tourism promotion programs around the world.
4. What are the weaknesses of tourism industry in your country?
Unfortunately the tourism sector is poor and therefore there is a decline in tourism
every year, I think we have not discovered our tourism potential yet, and we have
not selected any tourism strategies in order to change Tehran into a major tourism
destination and, it is impossible to boost our tourism industry without first providing
adequate community facilities, there are not decent hotel, transport and medical
facilities for tourists. They are not any tourism education campaigns anywhere to
teach people the basics about tourism; we need to broadcast tourism promotion
programs in Iran.

5. Where do you usually go on holiday? Why?

I am mainly interested in nature, therefore I mostly go to jungles, mountains, rivers
and other natural places, I usually go alone, I love the peace and quiet of the nature,
I sometimes stay home and relax, I think it is also good to lie down for long hours
and relax.

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7. Citizenship, cities and their facilities

1. What are the major problems in your city?

Well, I live in a small city in the outskirts of Tehran and unfortunately there aren’t
enough facilities, firstly, even some very basic communal facilities which make living
enjoyable are not available in my city, you know people in large cities are provided
with a wide range of facilities including transport facilities, social and recreational
facilities, educational facilities and a lot more, such as medical facilities, there are
large up-to-date hospitals and schools and other community facilities most of which
are not available where I live. Public facilities existing in a large modern city also
include disabled facilities and sports facilities which we are deprived of. Secondly
there aren’t enough job opportunities in my hometown and I have to travel a long
distance everyday to go to work in the neighboring large city.

2. Is traffic a major problem in your city?

Yes, it’s a major problem in my city, we have all kinds of traffic; you name it, rush
hour traffic which starts at 7 in the morning and 5 in the evening, there is a
congested traffic during rush hours, we also have a slow-moving city-center traffic, I
mean there is always a sluggish traffic in the city-center all day long, at times we
have heavy local traffic too, especially before the weekends as people rush out to
shopping centers before the weekend.

3. How can the officials solve the problem of traffic?

In order to solve the problem of traffic, the government needs to build larger roads
and more bridges. Widening roads can as well reduce the traffic. We also need to
have more accurate traffic regulations and we must also prevent traffic violation by
conducting traffic education campaigns targeted especially at children and
teenagers. Improving the public transport facilities can also cut traffic, and finally I
think the government must ban private cars from entering certain parts of the city
where construction plans are very costly and at times impossible, such as city-
centers.

4. How do you compare the facilities in your city with the cities of developed
countries?
Well, there is a wide range of facilities in large modern cities in developed countries
including transport facilities, social and recreational facilities, educational facilities
and a lot more, such as medical facilities, there are large up-to-date hospitals and
schools and other community facilities most of which are not available in my city.
Public facilities existing in large modern city also include disabled facilities and sports
facilities which we are deprived of.

5. In what ways has your city changed in the last 20 years?

Well, there is a wide range of facilities in my city nowadays which were not available
20 years ago including some transport facilities, social and recreational facilities,
educational facilities and a lot more, such as medical facilities, there are large up-to-
date hospitals and schools and other community facilities most of which were not
available then. Public facilities existing in my city these days also include disabled
facilities and sports facilities which we didn’t have in the past.

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6. What will your city be like in the next 50 years?

Well, we will have access to a wide range of facilities in the future which we even
can’t imagine now I think the scientific breakthroughs will pave the way for even
better living standards and there will be more facilities including some advanced
transport facilities, social and recreational facilities, educational facilities and a lot
more, such as medical facilities, there will be larger and more up-to-date hospitals
and schools and other community facilities most of which are still in the elementary
stages of development nowadays. Public facilities in the future will include advanced
disabled facilities and sports facilities which may seem to be a dream these days.

8. Leisure activities and recreational facilities

1. What did people use to do in their free time when there was no TV?
I think before we admitted this one-eyed monster into our homes, we used to enjoy
civilized pleasures, for instance we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our
friends and be entertained by them, we used to go outside for our amusement to
theaters, cinemas, restaurants and sporting centers. We even used to read books
and listen to music and talks on the radio.

2. How are people going to spend their free time in the future considering the
new technological advances that are being introduced every day?
I believe that the impact of the emerging advances in technology will be so powerful,
therefore it’s very difficult to predict the changes which might occur in the leisure
industry, but I can surely say that the internet will pave the way for unbelievable
changes in the way we spend our free time, I think people will forget TV and they will
enjoy online virtual entertainment.

3. In your opinion, what are the healthiest leisure activities? Why?

I think healthy leisure activities involve active participation; they don’t encourage
passive enjoyment I mean these activities require you to use your muscles and your
brain, for example watching television can be considered a passive kind of leisure
activity, you enjoy second-hand experiences, you don’t use your muscles and your
brain, and gradually you turn into a couch potato. In my opinion playing sports or
music need active participation.

4. Are there enough recreational facilities in your city so as to occupy your

spare time?
Well, as a matter of fact, there are not enough recreational facilities in my city and
the recreation centers are not equipped with the leading-edge technology. However,
it’s easy to spend your free time in my city, if you’re an outdoor type who enjoys
other forms of recreations such as mountain climbing, camping and cycling. They are
very absorbing hobbies to pursue.

5. What do you recommend the government should do to help people spend

their free time in the best way?
I think government subsidy on healthy leisure activities is a very good idea; I mean
the government must heavily subsidize the recreation centers promoting healthy

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activities. On the other hand the government must impose high taxes on unhealthy
activities, this way I think the government can direct the people to take up healthier
hobbies. The government must also finance more advanced recreation centers and
entitle the youth and the teenagers to a discount.

6. In your opinion can leisure activities include educational activities such as

learning a foreign language or a computer program? Why?
Well, certainly, but this depends on the people too, I believe learning is more
enjoyable than any other activity, for instance imagine learning to play music in your
free time, wouldn’t that be great? I think educational activities such as learning a
foreign language or a computer program can be the best option. But the point is that
some people aren’t interested in learning, they prefer passive enjoyment to such
activities. Of course we must admit that some language lessons or computer lessons
are not presented in an enjoyable way at all.

7. Should leisure activities be necessarily relaxing or can activities such as

mountain climbing, white water rafting be considered as leisure activities?
In my opinion, they must not be necessarily relaxing; I mean they can be grueling
activities such as white water rafting providing that you enjoy them. I believe leisure
activities must be pleasurable, but some people prefer less intense activities such as
lying on the beach or going to the movies, I think as far as an activity is considered
enjoyable and healthy, it is a leisure activity.

9. Work, employment and the problem of unemployment

1. Are there enough job opportunities in your country?

No, as a matter of fact the country is facing large-scale unemployment; of course the
government is trying to alleviate the rising unemployment, however unemployment
has hit the unskilled workers severely in particular and a large proportion of the
unskilled workforce is jobless. On the other hand there is high employment in certain
areas.

2. Is the rate of unemployment increasing in your country? Why?

I don’t have much reliable information concerning unemployment rates in the
country, people say despite government’s efforts to tackle unemployment, the rate
of unemployment is increasing, the government officials these days are taking
serious action to combat unemployment, and I believe in the near future it will be
kept down and eliminated finally.

3. How can the government solve the problem of unemployment in your

country?
I think the government must begin with the education system, I believe fewer
admissions must be granted in areas where employment is low, and areas with high
employment rate must be promoted, another thing the government can do to solve
the problem is to generate employment. Of course I really don’t have much
information regarding this matter but I’m sure there are experts who do.

4. What are the main factors contributing to unemployment growth?

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Well, this is a very technical question and I think I don’t have much information
about the causes of unemployment, but as far as I know, lower market demand can
cause unemployment and I think lower export volume and a weaker export industry
can lead to unemployment too, a fall in market demand is caused by lower
consumption rate and a limited purchasing power.

5. Why do some people choose to be self-employed?

I think nowadays most people would like to be self-employed, and as a matter of fact
I’m self-employed myself, I think the most important reason is a sense of freedom
that self-employment gives you. I mean you don’t have to do as your employer tells
you; you don’t have to observe strict regulations and you are free to choose your
own working hours.

6. Do people from your country travel to other countries in search of jobs?

Why?
Yes, well I think some people especially the skilled and the educated workforce
prefer to work overseas since they are not satisfied with their working conditions,
they believe that they have not been able to fulfill their true potential in Iran, and
that there are better employment as well as promotion opportunities. Some
unskilled workers travel to other countries in search of jobs since there are no
employment opportunities in Iran.

10. Family structure and size and the changing families

1. Do most women work outside in your country? Why?

As far as I know, the number of working women especially single working women is
increasing rapidly, there are more career women in my country these days that
pursue their career professionally and climbing the career ladder overshadows their
lives. I reckon the most important reason is gaining independence. They would like
to be financially independent; of course there are women who prefer part-time
employment in order to occupy their free time only. On the whole I think most
women are tired of being dependent on their fathers or husbands.

2. How can women’s employment affect families?

I think these days some women are turning into professional career women and this
can affect their families very severely, some women unfortunately have gone farther
than that and have forgotten their duties as a mother, I believe they are not acting
with moderation and this can seriously affect their children’s upbringing as well as
their husbands. I think these women don’t have enough time to spend with the
family and they can’t do their part as a mother.

3. How have families changed in the last 20 years?

Many things have changed, consider family structure for instance, in the past we
mainly had large extended families and they mostly lived together in the same
building or buildings in the same neighborhood, but these days nuclear families are
very common, family relationships were much stronger as well, these days some
people simply forget about their family commitments.

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4. What changes do you foretell in the family structure in the next 20 years?
Well, nowadays people are beginning to realize the importance of family life and
family commitments, and they obviously see how changing family structure can
affect families, they are witnessing what changing families are undergoing and they
can sense the rising divorce rate, considering all these experiences, I believe people
in the future providing they are wise enough will try to abide by the old-established
family laws in order to save their own families.

5. Is there any relationship between the growing rate of crime and the
changing families? Why?
In my opinion, there is certainly a positive correlation between the two, you know, in
most changing families, women work outside and most of them are full-time
employees, therefore they don’t have enough time to spend with their families,
mothers and children can’t be intimate friends, as a result family relationships are
weaker and it seems as if children are living alone, they may provide their parents
with daily reports on what they do during the day which is by no means sufficient,
this will make the children spend more time with their friends, friends who have
never been examined by the busy parents and then the result is very obvious.

6. Are people willing to have as many children as they had in the past?
Of course they don’t, these days most couples are not willing to have more than two
children. I think one reason could be the financial pressure that children may put on
their parents, these days it is very difficult to maintain a large family, family expenses
are soaring and parents can’t afford a large family, another reason is the children’s
upbringing, since parents are short of time these days, raising many children is very
time-consuming for them. Government policies also prevent families from having
more than two children.

7. Why are governments trying to persuade families to have fewer children?

The answer is very clear, overpopulation; actually the problems that overpopulation
causes are the reasons for such government policies. People need jobs, food,
facilities and so many other things, and the governments have to provide people
with enough jobs, food and facilities. The governments try to convince people to
have fewer children as they find it hard to meet the needs of the public, especially
when there is a sudden population growth.

11. The status of men and women and women’s rights

1. Do men regard women as second-class citizens in your country?

In my country, according to the constitution, men and women enjoy equal rights,
and they have all the basic rights of a first class citizen. Most men are aware of
women's established rights in our religion, men are fully aware of God’s word in
Koran which reads men and women are equal in the eyes of God and they are judged
based on their faith. Nevertheless most men unfortunately consider women as
second class citizens. Of course we must admit that, this sense of superiority to
women among men is a global one and can be seen in men all round the world.

2. In your opinion are men superior to women?

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Well, of course not, I mean you can obviously see that men can do better in some
fields and on the other hand women can outdo men in some fields, therefore men
and women are similar to a great extent and only subtly different. As a result I
believe no one can claim that men are superior to women due to this slight
difference.

3. Can women do all the jobs that men can do?

Well, of course not. Why should they? I mean women don't need to do all the things
that men can do. We must consider the fact that men can't do as well as women in
some areas either. In my opinion, because of their inborn physical, emotional and
psychological differences, men and women have distinct innate abilities, and I think
instead of these baseless comparisons, we must recognize their inherent abilities
and the sooner we appreciate them, the better.

4. Are women’s rights observed in your country?

Well, in Iran, women certainly retain their legal rights. I mean their rights are
recognized and enforced by the government. But the problem is that most women
are not aware of their own statutory rights and therefore never try to defend their
rights. Another problem is that some women can't demand their moral rights; I mean
some men don't respect their moral rights and since there are no legal obligations,
women can't protect them.

5. Do women participate in the society as men do?

As matter of fact no, I mean a lower proportion of women participate in social
activities. Of course I must say that the rate of female participation in the society is
currently increasing sharply. These days, more women have the opportunity to
participate actively in social activities, and they are encouraged to do so by the
government and the media yet the proportion of active men in the society is much
higher than that of women.

6. Are women dependent on emotions rather than reasoning?

I think, psychologically women are more emotional and they mostly rely on their
emotions rather than their power of reasoning. They are mostly intuitive and trust
their intuition. While on the other hand men mostly apply deductive and logical
reasoning and this is one of the major differences between men and women.

7. Should men and women enjoy the same rights?

In my opinion men and women naturally have many things in common in many areas
and are totally different in some other areas. I think because of their inborn physical,
emotional and psychological differences, men and women have distinct innate
characteristics; consequently they can't have exactly the same rights, in most areas
women need to be granted exclusive rights and in some areas men need to gain
some rights, in my opinion men and women must have equal rights and not
necessarily the same rights.

8. Can women take a more active role in the society?

Definitely yes, the society certainly needs more female participation in some areas.
We must admit the fact that women can do better in some fields than men. I think in

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Iran women are already taking a more active role; for instance the proportion of girls
attending universities around the country is higher than the proportion of men and
this in fact is indicative of a change in women's role in the society.

12. Care of the elderly

1. How can we appreciate the elderly for all they have done?
In my opinion we must hold the elderly in great respect, I mean they must be treated
with utmost respect, respect I believe is the first thing that they would like to earn. In
order to appreciate the elderly, the government must also provide them with free
social and recreational amenities; they must be given a generous retirement pension
so that they can comfortably live on their pension. And finally I think their children
must take care of them and pay them their due respect.

2. Are the old people respected by the new generation as they were by the
previous generations?
I think these days the old people aren't treated with proper respect, the new
generation is unfortunately getting used to showing a lack of respect for the elderly,
the new generation fails to respect the rights of the elderly. The previous generation
by contrast deeply respected the elderly; they took care of their grandparents
themselves and never sent them to retirement home and tried to visit them even on
a daily basis.

3. What can the government do to appreciate the elderly?

I think the government must provide them with free social and recreational
amenities; they must be given a generous retirement pension so that they can
comfortably live on their pension. The government must as well take care of the old
people who live alone. In my opinion the government has the bounden duty to help
the elderly, since they have devoted their entire life to the country.

4. Why some families take care of their grandparents while some send them
to nursing homes?
I think only a small proportion of the old people who are sent to nursing homes have
severe disabilities and the majority live in these homes since their children shirked
their responsibilities for taking care of their parents. In my opinion, the ones who
take care of their parents are trying to compensate for all their parents went through
to raise them. They actually accept it as their primary responsibility and never shift it
onto others. And I believe the future will treat them the same way they treated their
parents.

5. In what ways are the retired people helpful for the society?
I think the retired people are priceless treasures in our country, they have invaluable
professional work experience in various fields and they can share their hands-on
experience with the young novice workforce. After all, I think old people can bring a
wealth of experience to any business and help it flourish faster. Companies will avoid
extra expenses by taking advantage of their experience.

13. Poverty, the poor and the charities

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1. Why are some people poor in the society?

I think people are caught in the poverty trap for so many reasons, but I think the
most important reason in Iran is disability. Since most women are unskilled and can't
work, a disabled breadwinner in a family in Iran will ultimately lead to severe
poverty. I think another reason for poverty is low income. Many people in Iran are
low-income earners and according to the international living standards, many of
these families are living below the poverty line, even though the breadwinner in
those families isn't disabled.

2. In what ways can the society help the poor?

I believe the government must take immediate actions in order to eradicate poverty,
nowadays there is widespread poverty in many parts of the country. The
government can support the poor by providing them with huge housing and food
subsidies. The government must also supply them with subsidized electricity and
water utilities, and they must also have the opportunity to receive free education.

3. Should the government collect all the beggars begging on the street? Why?
Well, yes, of course. I think the government must devise an immediate plan aimed at
combating poverty and the first step must be collecting the beggars. In my opinion,
most beggars are only pretending to be poor; they must be caught and punished
severely since they abuse people’s sense of philanthropy. On the other hand I
believe there are people who are really indigent. They are impoverished by various
reasons and are not able to earn a living; in my opinion the government must help
them until they get back to normal living conditions.

4. What are the factors contributing to the growth of poverty in a community?

I believe one of the most important factors leading to poverty in families is physical
or mental disability of the breadwinner of the family and since most women are
unskilled and can't work, a disabled breadwinner will ultimately culminate in
poverty. Another reason in my opinion is low income. Many people in Iran are low-
income earners and according to the international living standards, many of these
families are living below the poverty line, even though the breadwinner in those
families isn't disabled.

5. How can we eliminate poverty in a society?

There are a number of different ways, I guess. In my opinion, both people and the
government must try to solve the problem of poverty. I think the government can
support the poor by providing them with huge housing and food subsidies. The
government must also supply them with subsidized electricity and water utilities,
and they must also have the opportunity to receive free education. Meanwhile
people must avoid helping beggars whom they don’t know. I mean they must only
donate money to the beggars in their own neighborhood and must as well inform
the government officials of such cases in their neighborhood.

14. Internet and the world

1. How has the internet changed the world?

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The world is galore with the changes that Internet technology has brought about,
nowadays major changes are introduced daily and predicting what the future might
be like is not easy. In my opinion broad-band and high-speed internet access has
provided great comfort for the people, various services are now available on the
Internet, and people are no more required to take many of their tiring daily journeys
owing to the Internet and some people are already working from home.

2. What are the disadvantages of using the internet for children and
teenagers?
Of course the Internet has its own disadvantages too, just like other advances in
technology. In my opinion some internet websites mislead people and hence can be
very detrimental to children and teenagers, there are pornographic sites for instance
which can result in sexual pre-maturity and sexual deviation in teenagers in
particular. The internet fraud is another disadvantage. After the internet boom,
many people fell victim to internet criminals.

3. How has the internet affected research and education in your country?
The internet, I believe has facilitated learning and research to a great extent.
Nowadays it is much easier to access research findings from all around the world.
Using the internet, it is also possible to find the answers to one’s questions
immediately, one can have contacts with other researchers and learners and even
teachers. In spite of all its advantages, the internet has also caused some problems
which are worth mentioning. The internet is unfortunately making some learners
and researchers dependent and lazy.

4. In your opinion, has the internet affected your country? How?

Sure just like any other part in the world, my country is galore with the changes that
Internet technology has brought about recently, nowadays major changes are
introduced daily and predicting what the future might be like is not easy. For
example internet banking, internet shopping, internet education and many more are
already there and I think a complete internet sector is being formed. In my opinion
broad-band and high-speed internet access has provided great comfort for the
people, various services are now available on the Internet, and people are no more
required to take many of their tiring daily journeys owing to the Internet and some
people are already working from home.

5. Why do you usually use the internet?

There are many reasons why I use the internet. You know I am a university student
and the most important reason is research and education. I download many internet
files related to my field of study, I think they keep me up-to-date. I also use the
internet to do some chores online, such as paying the bills or ordering some things, I
also chat with my friends and send and receive lots of e-mails everyday.

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15. Advertising and marketing

1. To what extent do you think people’s decisions are affected by

advertisement through the mass media?
Well, advertisements are carried out for various reasons, but the ultimate goal is to
impress people. Some advertisements are misleading I mean they are displayed in
order to cheat people and prevent them from making the right decisions, while
others are meant to be informative and guide the people. In my opinion people's
minds are greatly affected by TV, radio, and press advertisements.

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of advertising?

Advertisement can boost the economy of a country if it is not abused, I mean various
businesses can introduce their products and services to the public and can inform
them of the merits and demerits of their products and services, but companies take
advantage of misleading advertisements, in which either false information is given to
the mass or some part of the truth about their products and services is hidden from
the eyes of the public.

3. What should people do in order not to be deceived by misleading

advertisement?
In my opinion people can't do much, I mean all that people can do is to obtain valid
and reliable information from different sources before deciding to purchase a
product or a service. But not everyone can do so; people are too busy to spend their
time to discover the truth, in my opinion, there must be an organization which
supervises advertising activities, the organization must be responsible for verifying
the advertisements and ban any misleading advertisement from being shown and
must subsequently notify the public of the evil deeds of the fraudulent companies.

4. In your opinion, is enough attention paid to marketing in your country?

Unfortunately, unlike many European and American countries where marketing
plays an essential role in the economy of the country, in Iran marketing is just
beginning to be considered as necessary. Effective marketing strategies are ignored
and most companies are doing some poor marketing, I think the thriving competitive
market will finally remind Iranian companies of the missing link which is the
marketing department, a separate section with professional marketers to do
effective marketing.

5. What are the most important marketing strategies in your country?

I think that most marketing campaign in Iran involves TV and radio commercials, I
mean almost most companies which are trying to market their products and services
successfully use TV and radio advertisement. I think this is maybe because of the fact
that most people in Iran watch TV or listen to the radio. Another marketing strategy
is publishing advertisements in newspapers and magazines or displaying
advertisements on hoardings in the city. Of course there are other methods too such
as internet advertising.

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16. Computer

1. How has computer affected your country?

Computers I can say have influenced almost all the industries and sections of the
country. Computers nowadays play a major role in various industries, ranging from
agricultural and fishing industries to textiles and entertainment industries. Most
industries are now so dependent on computers that any computer break-down will
result in operation failure.

2. What are the main roles that computer plays in your city?
Computers I can say are in control of almost all the industries and sections of the
country. Computers nowadays play a major role in various industries, ranging from
agricultural and fishing industries to textiles and entertainment industries. Most
industries are now so dependent on computers that any computer break-down will
result in operation failure. In Tehran for example all companies, banks, hospitals and
even supermarkets have at least one PC and use various computer programs to
manage their work. Therefore any electricity failure can bring operation to a halt.

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using computer for children?
Computers have facilitated learning and children can benefit from various computer
programs specifically designed for teaching purposes. They can also occupy their free
time by working and playing with their computers, nevertheless the computer has its
own disadvantages too, just like other advances in technology. Computers can be
very harmful and addictive too, children may spend hours playing video games for
instance which can be very disastrous.

4. In your opinion, is it a good idea to use computer as a pastime?

Well, certainly yes, computers are meant to be used for entertainment purposes too,
I guess the controversy is aroused when some people use their computers solely as a
means of amusement, in my opinion people must learn to use their computer to its
full potential. As a matter of fact what bothers me is that some people never realize
the true potential of a PC. Therefore I believe computers can be used as a pastime
but this application is only of secondary importance.

5. Why are computers becoming so popular in your city?

Well, the answer is obvious, computers are fast, they can calculate so many
equations within a fraction of a second, they are also very accurate, I mean they
rarely commit errors; moreover computers are a means of storing extensive data,
they can be used to access data, to retrieve data and to analyze data within a very
short time. Data management, data processing and data transfer are easier than
ever by using a simple PC.

17. Books and reading

1. Are people in your country interested in reading? Explain.

Unfortunately people in Iran aren't very keen on reading and the average reading
time per person in Iran is very low, they hardly ever get down to reading. Of course I

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think according to the latest official reports the figure is increasing which is very
promising. The problem is that some people aren't even interested in bedtime
reading or holiday reading let alone serious critical reading. To tell you the truth
some people aren't in the habit of reading.

2. Why do people read books?

People read books for a number of different reasons. Some people find it an
entertaining activity and they usually read short stories, poetry or some comic books,
but some I guess have a more important reason, I mean they usually read books in
order to fill in the gaps in their knowledge, therefore they are voracious readers who
professionally select things they need. Some people are unfortunately involved in
forced reading. I mean they read since their reading material is compulsory to read.

3. Are people nowadays reading more books than they did before?
I don't think so, I mean I much acknowledge that nowadays with the advent of
modern print industry, books are widely available at a lower price, and more books
on various subjects are being published every year. People have easy access to book
stores and libraries in their neighborhoods and they can take advantage of e-book
stores and libraries too, however I think that in the past people read more useful
things, they read more critically and more carefully than people now.

4. How have the reading habits of people in your society changed over the past 20
years?
I think twenty years ago people read more poetry they read more prayer books, they
read out of interest and they pursued a certain subject. They read more critically and
more carefully than people now. People nowadays read a lot of newspapers and
magazines replete with pulpy stories, they enjoy reading shocking and tragic pieces
of news, and their insatiable curiosity is only satisfied by reading exclusive inside
stories of famous people's lives.

5. What kinds of books do people mostly read in their free time in your country?
People are mostly interested in reading newspapers and magazines replete with
pulpy stories, they enjoy reading shocking and tragic pieces of news, and their
insatiable curiosity is only satisfied by reading exclusive inside stories of famous
people's lives. They read more comic books these days; they read ghost stories, love
stories or detective stories. People have recently developed an interest in psychology
books such as how to overcome stress and stuff like that or management books
teaching how to manage your life, time, work and so on.

18. English, international language and teaching and learning it

1. Why does the world need an international language?

Well, effective communication I think is the reason for such a need. The world needs
mastery of a single language in order to facilitate communication among various
nations. People need to understand scientific papers form all around the world, they
may want to study or work overseas. Today, our businesses and firms are operating
at international levels, local and even national businesses are dying out gradually, in

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such a global market, command of an international language can open up new

markets for local and national companies. reading or holiday reading let alone
serious critical reading. To tell you the truth some people aren't in the habit of
reading.

2. Is English currently considered an International language? Why?

Well, of course, English is the language of international communication nowadays;
today knowledge of English is regarded as a priority for most businesses and
universities. In my opinion, there are many reasons why English among all other
languages has become the international language. I think the first reason is that most
countries where English is spoken as the native language are well-developed and
technologically advanced and this made English the language of science and
technology. Moreover English is easier to learn than many other languages.

3. What are some of the difficulties of learning English in a non-English speaking

country?
Well in a non-English speaking country finding an opportunity to practice the
language is very difficult. There aren't many native speakers to speak with. Another
reason is a lack of obligation. I mean when you live in an English-speaking country,
you have to speak the language in order to fulfill your daily needs, and your mastery
of English doesn't matter to you. In fact you can use English in authentic situations.
In a non-English speaking country you don't have such an opportunity and you can't
practice your language all day long.

4. How can we interest our school children in learning English?

In my opinion, first of all, our school children and teenagers must be aware of the
reasons for learning English. I mean, they must know the advantages of learning this
international language, they must know for instance in what ways English can benefit
their studies and their future career. Another thing that we must reform in order to
interest our school children in English is our language teaching methods, grammar
and translation are still given priority despite all the new advances in language
teaching methods, language learning in our schools equals mental gymnastics,
mathematics and so on.

5. In what ways has English as an international language affected your country?

Unfortunately English is barely recognized as a necessary means of communication
in Iran and that's because most companies and universities are operating at local and
national levels. Most students even in universities have a weak command of English
since they are not yet aiming at global markets. Of course English has been growing
in importance lately and for some companies, mastery of English is considered as a
priority, but the trend is very slow and sluggish. I think things will change totally in
the near future as Iran is opening up its markets to international investors.

19. Overseas students, living and studying in a foreign country

1. Why do some students choose to continue their studies in a foreign country?

Well, most students choose to extend their education overseas since they would like
to receive a first-class education. Students are provided with excellent education

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facilities and recourses. Their initiatives and schemes are welcomed by the education
ministry. There is also a close interaction between the education sector and trade,
commerce and industry therefore students can gain hands-on experience in their
field. Others choose to continue their education overseas since they are not granted
admission to Iranian universities.

2. What are the disadvantages of studying in a foreign country?

Well, the first disadvantage is being far from home, most students studying overseas
feel homesick for a long time and this interferes with their studies. Another problem
is the expenses. Some universities are astronomically expensive and the cost of living
in these countries for Iranian students is incredibly high. Communication breakdown
is still another problem. Some students who choose to study abroad don't have a
good knowledge of English therefore reading, writing, listening and speaking will be
all grueling tasks for them.

3. What are the main difficulties that overseas students face in your country?
Well, the first problem is being far from home, most students studying overseas feel
homesick for a long time and this interferes with their studies and overseas students
in Iran face this problem too. Communication breakdown is still another problem.
Some students who choose to study in Iran don't have a good knowledge of Persian
therefore reading, writing, listening and speaking will be all grueling tasks for them.
Our culture is another source of difficulty; it takes time for foreign students in Iran to
get accustomed to our Islamic culture.

4. What can the government do to solve the problems of overseas students?

I think the government may not be able to solve the problem immediately but I am
sure there are actions to be taken which can alleviate the problem to a great extent.
For instance the government officials can hold some classes regarding the Iranian
culture and cultural values for those foreign students who are not aware of our
national and religious values. Another thing the government can do to ease the
problem is holding language classes. The government must provide practical Persian
language courses for those who can’t communicate in Persian effectively.

5. How do you compare the education system of your country with the education
system in some European countries?
Well, there are many flaws in our education system. The education system in some
European countries such as Britain or Germany is very up-to-date, the courses are
very practical and the students can gain considerable professional work experience
during their curriculum since there is a close interaction between universities, trade,
commerce and industry. Unfortunately in Iran, universities have largely focused on
scientific theories and the relationship between theory and practice is ignored.

20. Health, drugs and traditional and modern medicine

1. Are people healthier nowadays than they were in the past?

Nowadays due to the advances in modern medicine and the revival of traditional
medicine, people generally enjoy better health. These days because of the
comprehensive health service, the health insurance policies and government

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subsidies, it is much easier for people to maintain both physical and mental health.
But this is not a global phenomenon, still in some areas of the world health
hazardsexist and people in some advanced countries with the best health service
such as the USA are facing new kinds of health hazards, such as diabetes and obesity.

2. How has modern medicine improved people’s health?

Modern medicine has improved the people’s general health, and nowadays adult
and infant mortality rate is declining in some societies. Widespread epidemic such as
typhoid epidemic are not facing the people anymore. Many health hazards have
been eradicated owing to the modern medicine. There are preventive measures in
modern medicine too. I mean modern medicine can teach us how to protect
ourselves against various fatal diseases such as Aids.

3. Do you use herbal medicine prescribed by the traditional medicine? Why?

Well, yes, I believe some herbal drugs are even more effective than most modern
drugs. They are natural and most of them have fewer side effects than modern drugs
which are produced chemically. I think these days we are witnessing the revival of
herbal medicine, people are recognizing how invaluable herbal drugs are and they
are turning to traditional medicine for treatment.

4. What are the major causes for illnesses?

These days, because of the modern medicine and comprehensive and national heath
services in most countries in the world, most fatal diseases have been eliminated.
Therefore infant mortality rate has decreased sharply; however, adult mortality rate
in some countries is still high, and the reason is the modern lifestyles and eating
habits. People are now dying mostly of obesity and its side effects, such as diabetes,
hypertension and so on.

5. Can modern medicine cure all the diseases? Why?

Definitely not, because if it could; people would not die of various diseases. Every
day we hear new death rates, therefore it is obvious that modern medicine can’t
cure all the diseases, in my opinion instead of seeking treatment in modern
medicine, people must reform their lifestyles, they must change their eating habits,
they must work out on a regular basis and they must reduce the level of stress in
their lives.

21. Cell phones, satellites and telecommunication

1. How have satellites changed our life in the past 20 years?

With the advent of satellites and in general telecommunication technology, the
world reached a turning point in its history, and within the past twenty years, by
modernizing the telecommunication networks and infrastructure, the world changed
into a small village in which you can have access to whatever you want. Nowadays
you can have the latest information from around the world within a fraction of a
second. Globalization in the real sense of the world occurred after
telecommunication satellites were invented and launched successfully.

2. Why are more and more people buying cell phones every day?

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It is very obvious; because they are very useful, you can be available wherever you
are. In my opinion, cell phones brought great comfort to our lives; they expanded
our sphere of geographical mobility. I mean you are never away when you have a cell
phone. However as they increased our mobility, they disturbed our privacy; you are
expected to be accessible if you have a cell phone. You might say “well people can
turn off their cell phones” but people may find it disconcerting to turn off their cell
phones, so it is just like a dilemma.
3. What are some of the problems that satellite has caused or is causing in your
country?
Well, satellite by itself does not pose any dangers; I mean satellite is without
scruples, we are the ones sometimes who abuse the telecommunication satellites,
some people for instance use the satellite to propagate their dangerous ideologies,
they broadcast erotic and violent movies and they don’t care what the effects of the
ideologies and programs might be. Some governments and even individuals use the
satellite in order to track and trace people; they intrude on people’s privacy in order
to discover what they are doing. These were just a few examples.

4. How can we avoid the problems that satellites can cause in a society?
In my opinion, people must require the governments and the parliament to legislate
strict laws prohibiting satellite applications such as broadcasting pornographic or
violent movies, or programs propagating evil ideologies, and the people abusing the
satellite must be severely punished, the laws must also ban governments and the
individuals from invading people’s privacy, in my opinion we don’t have sufficient
laws to oppose such actions.

5. How dependent is your country on telecommunication devices?

Well, nowadays all countries in the world are somehow dependent on
telecommunication devices; I think without the telecommunication sector, many of
the sectors, industries and businesses would be crippled. For example many mining
industries, civil engineering firms are now using the satellite in order to explore and
map lands; the banking business is also dependent on telecommunication devices. I
cannot recall any other application of telecommunication devices in the world today
but I am sure every single business is dealing with it either directly or indirectly.

22. TV, the film industry and censorship and its reasons

1. Do you think the cinema has increased or decreased in popularity in recent

years?
I personally used to go to the cinema once or twice a month when I was younger, but
nowadays I rarely go to the cinema, I mean, about once a year, I don’t know about
people in general, but I guess at least in Iran its popularity may be decreasing, you
know more films are available now and people can easily rent them and watch them,
there are many films on TV too, I think considering all these, film directors have to
produce a smash-hit in order to convince the people to spend a couple of hours in
the cinema.

2. In your opinion, do you think the cinema will increase in popularity in the
future?

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It is really hard to guess, I think in the future cinemas will be equipped with
expensive modern technologies, too expensive to be used at home, and this will
attract more and more people to the cinemas, nowadays we have the huge
multiplexes with advanced equipments which are already attracting many people.
But this figure will rise as cinemas apply devices which change the way films are
shown.

3. Why do you think people mainly watch TV?

Well, unfortunately most people are interested in passive hobbies such as watching
TV, it is the easiest way to occupy your free time, just turn on the telly and recline on
the sofa and be a couch potato, therefore I think one of the most important reasons
is that it is not a grueling activity, it does not require you to use your brain the same
way as you do when you play chess, it doesn’t need you to move your body as you
are required when you play tennis.

4. What are the harmful effects of watching TV on children and teenagers?

Well, we all know that television unfortunately may be at times misleading, I mean
now and then programs are shown on television which can be seriously harmful, we
see actors smoking and puffing it away in front of the camera and inculcating the
children and the teenagers with the attitude that smoking is a standard practice and
will lead to success and ever-lasting happiness in life, we see lovely children who are
making mistake, disturbing their parents and beating the rap and succeeding in their
future lives. People are shown in their luxury houses and cars making children
believe they are second class citizens.

5. How do you think censorship laws will change in the next 20 years?
I believe people are becoming aware of the harmful effects of TV on their children,
and therefore I think in the future parents themselves will require the parliament to
legislate laws tightening censorship, I think we need strict censorship in order to
protect our children against violence and sex, but on the other hand people will ask
the parliament to abolish any laws imposing political and press censorship favoring
certain political figures.

23. Water and air Pollution in the modern world

1. What are the major causes of air pollution?

Well, air pollution is mostly caused by the emission of the noxious fumes of carbon
monoxide and carbon dioxide and other substances from car exhaust pipes. In my
opinion cars are the biggest pollution sources in our country; these dilapidated cars
still running after 30 to 40 years from their production date are releasing a lot of
poisonous fumes into the air. Another source of pollution I believe is the factories;
some factories are causing a great amount of industrial pollution since they don’t
observe the air pollution standards.

2. What are the major causes of water pollution?

Well one of the biggest sources of water pollution is the factories which release the
poisonous substances into the rivers, lakes and the seas and even into the oceans.
They can simply reduce the amount of pollution they cause by refining their outgoing

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sewage. They don’t do so for they don’t want to spend any money on this, ignoring
the real cost of water pollution. They are killing thousands of sea animals and even
people, they are destroying the environment and unfortunately water pollution
standards aren’t being tightened by the officials. Oil spill is another major source of
water pollution, annually many oil tankers sink and the oil is spilled into the sea
which kills thousand of sea animals.

3. What are some of the problems that air pollution has caused for people?
Air pollution first of all I think affects people’s respiratory system, the number of
people suffering from asthma is higher in polluted cities and people are afflicted with
pulmonary diseases, they also contract cardiovascular diseases, they have weaker
hearts and more heart attacks, some children have brain problems too, they are not
as intelligent as people who live in clean cities. Apart from the health problems, air
pollution also affects cleanliness; I mean people get dirty and smoky as soon as they
go into polluted districts.
4. What actions should be taken in order to decrease air pollution in polluted
cities?
In my opinion, the government must tighten pollution standards; for instance car
manufacturer must be required to produce cars which emit no poisonous gases, the
government must ask the people to obey pollution regulations and laws, factories
must be provided with excellent pollution control facilities so that they can minimize
the level of pollution that they cause. People must receive pollution awareness
education which informs them of the dire consequences of pollution of any kind.

5. In what ways can water pollution harm people’s health?

Well, first of all, water is the second most essential thing we need in life. Our body is
70 percent water and this simple biological fact proves its importance. Now imagine
our water resources are polluted by chemicals. Water pollution will immediately
result in numerous diseases and death. It also affects our food resources. Take the
marine animals and vegetation for instance. Water is the element of fish; they will
get sick and die finally and this can reduce our food resources too. The chemically
contaminated food will cause diseases and death too.

24. Crime and punishment

1. Has the rate of crime been on the increase in your country in recent years? Why?
The rate of crime has been rising recently all around the world and my country is no
exception, juvenile and organized crime along with business crime are increasing
worldwide and a sharper increase in crime is predicted unless the government and
the public take action to tackle the problem. I believe most youngsters turn to crime
due to financial problems, unemployment is high and most people are under-paid;
there are no strict and fair employment regulations, another problem I think is a lack
of proper education at schools. Drug-related crime and sex crime is still another
problem, and finally I think since appropriate and fitting punishment is not meted
out to the criminals, corporate crime committed by both governmental and private
businesses is increasing.

2. What can the government do to deter criminals?

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Well, I think one of the most important things that the government can do in order
to deter the criminals, is to enact laws permitting the infliction of severe punishment
on those who recklessly carry out crime against other citizens. The government must
severely punish those who cruelly and mercilessly violate the laws and the rights of
other people. The government must deter other potential criminals by inflicting
capital punishment in certain cases on those who seem to be incorrigible. Law
enforcement must be as reliable as possible and to achieve this aim, the government
must employ the best and the most trustworthy police officers.

3. Should the government abolish the law of capital punishment? Why?

In my opinion the government must never abolish the law of capital punishment,
since it determines the difference between murder and other kinds of crime, in my
opinion a person who kills intentionally must be killed otherwise it wouldn’t bother a
robber to kill one or two while robbing a bank. After all he is going to go to jail and
he can be released on parole prior to the end of the maximum sentence imposed. In
my opinion killing someone must for ever be considered the forbidden fruit and
upon tasting it the perpetrator must be executed.

4. In your opinion, what are the main reasons leading to commitment of crime in
your country?
One of the most important problems leading to crime is unemployment, most crimes
are committed due to financial problems, and as we know the rate of youth crime is
increasing rapidly, sex crime is also rising and that’s because of problems hindering
early marriage. Organized crime and corporate crimes are increasing too and the
reason is a weak and unreliable crime investigation and law enforcement system in
the country. There are also many loopholes in the laws whereby criminals can escape
punishment.

5. How do you think the government can correct the juvenile delinquents?
Well, most juvenile delinquents start with petty crime and are then driven to
organized crime. And most commit petty crime since they are suffering from
financial problems. Some have never received proper education in their lives and
therefore have not acquired any skills whereby they can earn a living. In my opinion
most youngsters are corrigible, and the only thing the government can do is help
them develop enough skills, educate them and support them until they can stand on
their own feet.

25. War and its aftermath and peace

1. What are the main reasons for launching a war against another country these
days?
Well, first of all, I’d like to state my objection against any war that is raging on
between different nations nowadays. Unfortunately despite all our claims to
civilization and humanity, we are fighting wars and killing soldiers and even civilians.
In my opinion, the world is still galore with expansionist ideologies, advanced and
rich countries try to wage wars against underdeveloped nations, and they exploit
other countries’ natural resources such as oil and gas. There are also civil wars being
fought around the world as various parties try to seize power.

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2. How can we achieve an everlasting global peace?

Well, I believe the world is not yet ready for an everlasting peace. Therefore
establishing a permanent peace seems almost impossible. At first I think people must
be civilized in the real sense of the word, they must have a strong faith in God and
obey the rules of God, a lasting peace is impossible to be brought about without
people who are benevolent, altruistic and philanthropic. It is hard to make a
permanent peace without governments which follow philanthropic policies in
countries led by just, informed, spiritual and devoted leaders.

3. What are some of the main consequences of war?

Well, we as Iranians are entirely familiar with the catastrophic consequences of war,
we have all witnessed the aftermath of the imposed war. We remember the
massacre of Iranians caused by chemical weapons, we have seen the massive
destruction caused by bombs, and these are only some of the disastrous
consequences of war. Wars usually leave a more lasting impact on the countries. We
can still see people who were maimed in battle, orphans who lost their parents
during the war. The psychological impact of war on some people has changed into an
inseparable part of their character and they will recall its sad memories as long as
they are alive.

4. How have the forms of war changed compared to the ancient times?
Well, in the past people used other weapons such as swords, bows and arrows and
spears, most battles involved man to man fight and there were usually fewer or no
massacre in the form that we experience these days, modern technology has greatly
contributed to arms industry, nowadays humans can produce weapons which can kill
a thousand people within a blink of an eye, they are so powerful that they can
destroy the infrastructure of a country. These days killing is a much easier task, you
just need to pull the trigger.

5. How can the world treat a country which is belligerent and warlike?
I think the world must fight back the invaders; all the nations of the world must get
united in order to protect the invaded country and punish the invader. The world
must exclude such countries and leave them in isolation; they must impose
economic and political sanctions on these countries, until they abandon their
hostilities against other countries. Well I am sure there are other actions to be taken
as well. However the nations of the world need to remember that remaining silent
and indifferent will finally do these nations an irreparable harm.

26. Living together, marriage and divorce

1. Have attitudes to marriage changed in your country in recent years?

Well, certainly, these days the general attitude of the public about marriage is
changing, some young people have unfortunately adopted a negative attitude to
marriage, and that’s because there have been many marriage break-ups recently in
the country and in particular large cities. On the other hand a positive and favorable
attitude about marriage prevails among some of the educated and religious young
people and some people I know are already married at the age of 22.

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2. In what ways do men and women feel differently about marriage, in you
opinion?
Well, I am a man, and I don’t exactly know what the prevailing attitude about
marriage among women is, but as far as I am concerned most young people
nowadays have an ambivalent attitude towards marriage, I mean they fully
acknowledge its outstanding merits, while on the other hand they are completely
aware of the hardships that it causes. Of course I should mention that most of the
obstacles are posed by marriage customs followed by the older generation.

3. Has the rate of divorce been increasing in your country? Why?

Well, I don’t have any reliable data on the number of people who go through
divorce, and I cannot really rely on what I hear, but what is of great concern to me is
the reasons for consenting to divorce. I mean these days most couples are seeking
divorce for reasons which don’t sound convincing to me, for instance a reason such
as financial problem cannot be regarded as grounds for divorce. Some couples these
days agree to divorce and they simply claim that they don’t have enough mutual
understanding. I mean you are sure to have some rows now and then, but these day
couples instead of working their problems out simply apply for divorce.

4. What can be done to decrease the divorce rate in developing countries?

First of all, we must educate the youth about the criteria of success for a marriage,
and I think the media, the education system and parents can play the most
important roles. The government must support the newlyweds financially,
psychologically and spiritually. The government must help the couples who don’t
have accommodation. The government must also grant them interest-free loans.
Couples who are struggling with problems must receive free and professional
marriage counseling.
5. Why is it hard to get married in your country? Well, getting married isn’t hard all
by itself; I mean we are making it harder by setting up formidable barriers to
marriage. I believe keeping up with the Joneses is one of the underlying reasons for
late marriage. We try to overtake our friends and relatives in ostentations and
pomposity. We try to indulge in unnecessary luxury and finally boys and girls have to
cope with the demands imposed on them by other older relatives and family
members. Well of course there are other reasons too, such as changes in attitude
towards marriage and life.

27. Religion and the mosque/church in the modern world

1. How important is religion in the modern world?

In my opinion, in the modern world most people’s faith in God is being undermined
and their beliefs in God and in the hereafter are being weakened. Most people are so
involved in the material life that they have almost abandoned their belief in the
judgment day, as a matter of fact, most of the problems we now face are stemming
from a lack of strong beliefs in God and punishment, therefore I believe religion in
the spiritual chaos of the modern world can remind people of who they are and what
mission they need to accomplish here on Earth.

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2. Is the new generation as religious as the previous generations? Why?

There have been drastic changes in the way people practice religion, find faith and
retain it. People in the past were adherents of an established religion spread in the
whole country. They simply imitated others without being able to defend their
religion; most people in the past didn’t have much knowledge about their religion.
Nowadays while some young people are rejecting their religion and are following
strange ideologies put forward by theorists and other western philosophers, others
have gathered sufficient information about their religion and therefore can defend it.
I think today the new generation is divided into two distinct groups; there are people
who have abandoned their religious beliefs as well as the ones who are true,
informed followers of their religion.

3. Can you predict the role of religion in the future?

I think nowadays people are becoming aware of the role that religion plays in our
lives. For many years, western philosophers tried to dispense with religion and
religious beliefs, but today people are tired of their material life, they are beginning
to know how hectic and exhausting the world would be without the rule of God
through his word. People are starting to realize the importance of God and his
commandments; they are already thoroughly fed up about witnessing the disastrous
consequences of modern and postmodern ideologies proposed foolhardily by
various so-called philosophers and theorists.

4. In your opinion, is religion decreasing in popularity or increasing? Why?

Well, contrary to the commonly held belief these days, I think religion is just gaining
in popularity among people, people who have lost their human identity on the Earth
now feel humiliated, they were deceived by politicians and leaders for centuries and
just now are beginning to realize the accuracy and honesty of God’s words brought
to us by his messengers. With the passage of time, people are regaining their faith in
God and his words.

5. Is religion a powerful means to save people from the sins of the modern world?
Of course yes, who can deter and prevent people from committing crime against
other individuals in a community. Can we employ enough police officers to put all
citizens under surveillance, and then what about the police officers themselves,
wouldn’t they need others to keep them under surveillance. What can deter them
from committing sins better than the beliefs taught by religion, such as belief in
punishment, in heaven, in God’s satisfaction and wrath, in my opinion if people take
these serious, they will never make the smallest mistakes.

28. Success, happiness and how to achieve it

1. How can people achieve happiness in their lives?

Well, people interpret happiness differently; therefore each person can take his or
her own road to happiness. That’s why someone’s happiness may be considered by
someone else as perdition. In order to find earthly happiness, for instance, one
needs to indulge in the material world and enjoy the luxuries and earn huge sums of

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money. For a person seeking eternal spiritual happiness, indulgence and

extravagance are considered as a road to degradation and debasement of the soul.

2. Can money lead to happiness? Why?

Well, in my opinion money can never lead to happiness, nevertheless it can facilitate
a person’s ability to achieve it, I mean first of all earning money must not be its own
reward, for some people unfortunately earning money and saving and spending it
are considered happiness itself in which case I think it will lead to disgrace and
bestiality. Money can help us achieve happiness; provided that we use it
appropriately both to meet our earthly needs and satisfy our soul.

3. What are the most important causes of happiness?

Well in my opinion true eternal happiness lies in God’s satisfaction, therefore we
must obey his commandments and satisfy him. God can show us the way to
happiness without us knowing it. Moreover In order to find happiness both in this
world and in the hereafter, we need to have devoted parents and a faithful wife.
Marital happiness can certainly lead to true happiness. Good children and a good
financial situation can bring us great happiness too.

4. Does failure ultimately result in depression? Why?

Well, it depends on how you look at it, I mean for some people it is hard to admit
defeat, they are appalled at the thought and when they end in defeat they brood the
problem and they suffer frequent bouts of depression but some people consider
defeat and failure as the first step towards success; therefore, they easily concede
their defeats and they never feel frustrated as they try to compensate and graduate
to higher levels by learning from their mistakes which led to defeat.

5. In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a successful person?

Well a successful person for me is a person who makes up his or her mind and tries
to achieve what he or she wants. A successful person I believe concentrates on his
orher goal and doesn’t let anyone distract him or her. For me to decide means to cut
off from any other possibilities. I mean you’ve got to be decisive, completely
determined and focused. I think one needs to be patient too since to succeed I think
you have to stick to your plan and make little changes day in day out.
29. Youth and the problems they face in the modern world

1. What are the main problems that the youth face in your country?
There are many problems, actually, but the most important one in my opinion is high
unemployment. Young people cannot obtain employment, there are very few
employment prospects for unqualified young people, and most unskilled young
people are underpaid and even most skilled and educated ones are out of
employment. Employment practices are not fair and the conditions of employment
are another problem concerning the youth. Another problem is marriage, most
young people are single and aren’t willing to get married. Therefore the rate of sex
crime among the young people is increasing.

2. What can the government and the people do to solve the problems of the
youth?

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Well, first of all the government must do its best in order to generate employment
for both the unskilled and the skilled young workforce. The government must also
enforce fair employment conditions so that the youth are not exploited. The
government must also pass laws permitting banks to grant interest-free loans to
those who intend to get married, the government must provide cheap and suitable
accommodation for young newlyweds; the government must also provide them with
enough recreational facilities so that they can easily occupy their time in a healthy
way .

3. What can the youth do to solve their own problems?

Well, first of all they must think about the future, I mean they must acquire the
necessary qualifications so that they can find employment later in life, they must try
to be down to earth, I mean they must start out with feasible plans for the future.
They can also save up their money in case they need it. Some are also pampered I
mean their upbringing has not given them the social skills to cope with difficult
situations; therefore I believe that they must change their attitude towards life, and
understand that they are born to overcome hardships.

4. Did the youth of the previous generations have as many problems as the ones of
the new generation?
Well, you cannot really say so; I mean people in the past had their own problems,
and they even may have had more problems than the youth of the new generation.
As a result, comparing their problems in terms of quantity may not sound fair. But
one can claim that the form of the problems has changed, that is in the past people
did not have many of the problems we see today such as marriage problems, low
employment etc. anyhow I think life has always been challenging for the travelers on
Earth.
5. In what ways have the youth progressed in comparison with the youth of the
previous generations?
Well nowadays the young people of the new generation are in general well ahead of
the young people of the previous generations in terms of education and world
knowledge; however, I think in some fields they don’t stand a comparison with the
youth of the previous generation. I mean they have actually regressed in some areas.
But on the whole I think comparing the youth of different generations is not sensible.

30. The consequences of global warming

1. Why is the world becoming a warmer place?

Well, most scientists believe that the earth is getting warmer due to the greenhouse
effect. I mean the earth is encircled by various greenhouse gasses emitted into the
atmosphere and these gasses have trapped heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Light
normally used to be reflected and sent out of the atmosphere after it hit the surface
of the earth but nowadays a part is reflected back into the atmosphere by the
greenhouse gasses surrounding the earth.

2. How can we solve the problem of global warming?

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I think despite all the greenhouse effect awareness programs shown on TV, most
people are unaware of this phenomenon and its solutions. I think first we need to
realize there are gasses which pollute the air and help increase the greenhouse
effect and then we must avoid using products which emit such gasses. We are
producing a lot of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide by driving our personal cars;
we must use the public transport instead.

3. What can we do personally to help decelerate global warming?

First of all we must take this disastrous phenomenon serious, unfortunately we do
not realize its consequences. For instance, as a result of global warming, the huge
icebergs in the South Pole have started to melt, and the sea level in some parts of
the world has risen which ultimately has led to many annual floods all over the world
taking many lives. We must then stop using our private cars, the government must
legislate more strict laws preventing factories from polluting the air.

4. What can the governments and the non-governmental organizations do to stop

the earth from getting warmer?
Well the government and the non-governmental organizations can in the first place
prepare global warming awareness programs aimed at informing the people of the
consequences of this phenomenon. They must abolish the laws permitting people
and factories to pollute the air and they must ban the use of hazardous products
which are scientifically shown to be polluting the air. And finally they must severely
punish those who violate anti air pollution laws.

5. What do you think the world temperature will be like in the next 50 years?
Contrary to the common belief, global warming is not going to increase the world
temperature by 10 or 20 degrees Celsius in the next 50 years. I mean if this were the
case, the world would be an uninhabitable place then, the world is getting warmer
half a degree every century if I am not mistaken, but then the question is ‘why arewe
so worried about such unimportant changes?’ well the point is even such
unimportant changes in the world temperature upset the balance in the world’s
ecosystem. It may be hard to believe that following such seemingly unimportant
changes thousands of lives are being lost due to floods all over the world.

31. Energy resources, future problems and solutions

1. What are the major energy resources in your country?

Well, my country is rich in natural energy resources such as oil and gas and these are
unfortunately the most important sources of energy. As you know oil and gas are
non-renewable energy resources; that is they will not be replaced as fast as we are
using them. So in the future, the next generations will face energy crisis. I think we
must resort to renewable energy resources such as nuclear energy, solar energy and
wind energy.

2. What are the merits and demerits of the major energy resources in your
country?
Well, the most important sources of energy are the natural energy resources such as
oil and gas. Well as you know they have to be burned in order to produce energy and

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this pollutes the air. They are not clean sources of energy. In my opinion electricity is
one of the cleanest sources of energy since it is easier to use, transmit and produce
especially if we have access to nuclear power plants. It is also a renewable energy
resource; we can generate as much electricity as we demand on a daily basis.

3. What are the problems caused by using fossil fuels?

Well the first problem caused by fossil fuels such as oil and gas is air pollution. The
pollutants produced as we burn fossil fuels in our homes, in our cars and factories
ultimately pollute the air. Another problem is dependence. I mean countries which
are rich in fossil fuels never try to harness other forms of energy they consume more
and more fossil fuels every year as the demands rise and while there are countries
which are trying to use nuclear, solar and even wave energy, we are still consuming
the most primitive sources of energy.

4. In your opinion, what is the cleanest source of energy? Why?

I think the cleanest sources of energy are the electricity and the solar energy since
they leave no wastes; therefore, they pollute neither the air nor the earth. Electricity
is easier to transmit, use and replace than any other form of energy. In Iran
electricity is currently being generated by running gigantic generator by the force of
water, fossil fuels and at times wind. Fossil fuels consumed to produce electricity
pollute the air. Another way to produce electricity is to use nuclear energy which is
not very common in Iran now.

5. What can we do to avoid running out of fossil fuels?

In order to avoid this problem, we must resort to renewable energy resources such
as electricity, solar and nuclear energy. We can use the energy generated by wind
and water too. Another way is to save fossil fuels by using them appropriately. We
must increase the energy efficiency of our cars, and household appliances. Energy
management is still another issue.

32. Diet, health and Sport and exercise

1. Why do some people play sports on a regular basis?

Well, most people work out for health reasons. I mean they want to stay healthy,
some people on the other hand would like to remain fit and in shape, they want to
look physically attractive and they hate being overweight. Some people play sports
for fun, they enjoy playing sports such as tennis and volleyball. And I think some
pursue a professional sporting career I mean they want to be champions or trainers.

2. To what extent do you approve of professional sports? Why?

I think people who embark on a professional sporting career know what they are
doing, they enjoy being a champion they want to participate in competitions and
they are overjoyed to win. However I know that some would like to become a
champion under any circumstances even if it means putting their health in danger.
They hurt their body regularly and as they get older they feel pain in different parts
of their body.

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3. Do you approve of violent sports such as boxing and wrestling which can harm
athletes seriously?
Well, I am sure for those who are professional boxers or wrestlers, fighting beating
and being beaten is enjoyable, even though it may be harmful to their health. I think
I cannot have an opinion since I am not in their shoes. I think people are ready to
endanger their health for things which are invaluable to them. I mean while I may sit
in front of a computer screen and hurt my eyes and my backbone and be satisfied
with it. Others would like to do what I do at my desk in a boxing ring. So let’s stop
reprimanding them.

4. Do you think the education system pays enough attention to physical education
in our schools?
Well, in Iran physical education is completely ignored. There is only a session a week
and we all know there is nothing that students can do or learn during a single session
a week. Most so-called trainers have majored in fields other than physical education.
Most children at school in Iran have many physical problems. In most schools there
are no sports facilities and students are allowed to leave and go home or go to the
library where they can spend their time browsing among books.

5. Why do people usually prefer going on a diet to getting exercise?

Well, most people are lazy, that’s why they prefer going on a diet to getting exercise.
They would like to choose the easiest way. They prefer to deprive their bodies of the
most necessary substances in order to get slim. In my opinion they are not used to
working out; therefore, they cannot experience how enjoyable it could be.

33. The qualities and skills of a good employee

1. What are the characteristics of a good employee?

Well, first of all an employee needs to be competent. Any employee in my opinion
must be an expert in his or her field. Employees must be aware of the latest
information. A good employee as well needs to be honest, patient and hard-working.
Employees must never shirk their responsibilities and must do their best even when
they are not being observed.

2. What are the qualities of a competent manager?

A competent manager must at first be familiar with the latest and best management
strategies. He or she must keep learning and updating on management theories and
policies. A competent manager must be a good leader as well as a good example. A
manger must be just what he or she wants his or her employees to be. He or she
must be honest, hardworking and considerate and responsible himself or herself.

3. How can we improve the quality of our workforce?

In order to improve the quality of our workforce, first we need to improve the
quality of our education system. Most employees are incompetent because they
received a poor education when they were in college. They are not familiar with the
latest advances in their fields of study. In order to have a better workforce, we must
also keep our staff highly motivated. They must for example get higher salaries, they

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must also know that their contributions to the progress and development of their
offices are recognized and appreciated.

4. Is the education system successful in training the workforce that the country
needs?
Unfortunately, the education system is not successful in training the workforce that
the country needs. Students are not provided with a first-class education when they
are in college and when they graduate; they are not familiar with practicalities. Take
for instance graduate students who don’t have a good command of English;
consequently the questions rise ‘how are these graduate students going to have
access to the latest research papers and books in their fields and how are we going
to be sure they will get the writer’s meaning right?’.

5. Should employees remain faithful to their employers under any circumstances?

Why?
Well, in my opinion employees don’t need to remain faithful to their employers. I
mean they must be able to leave any time they are dissatisfied with the system,
management and their working conditions, of course they must not leave without
prior notice since this can cause unexpected problems for the company where they
work.

34. Poverty and hunger in the third world

1. What can we do personally to solve the problem of world hunger?

Well, in my opinion, every single person has a duty to alleviate world hunger, one
thing that we all can do is to avoid wasting food resources, imagine each person in
the world reduces food consumption by one fifth, this means we save up one fifth of
the world food supply, which can be used to feed approximately one billion people
suffering from starvation. I believe this will not cause us any problems since we are
normally wasting one fifth of the foodstuff we use. Therefore we will not suffer from
chronic malnutrition, I promise, this can also help us keep off obesity.

2. What are the main causes of world hunger?

Well the most important reason is uneven distribution of population and land
resources, some areas where there are no land resources are densely populated.
Overpopulation and a lack of sufficient land resources leads to poverty, these
countries don't have enough money in order to improve the country's technology,
agricultural advances in these countries cannot keep pace with the growing
population, farmers cannot purchase the necessary machinery, the irrigation system
is primitive and a lot of water is wasted especially in countries where people are
already grappling with a lack of water resources.

3. What can the governments and the international organizations do to solve

eliminate hunger totally?
Well, these countries can first of all forgive debts. Many poor countries have huge
interest repayments on old loans. In my opinion rich countries and international
organizations must help these countries to improve their agriculture as soon as
possible, they must provide these countries with advanced agricultural methods so

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that they can manufacture enough food for the whole nation, they must also help
the governments of the poorer countries to educate men and women, in my opinion
people must be aware of the problems of overpopulation.

4. Can the people suffering from hunger be blamed as well for this problem?
Well, to some extent yes, these people are the ones who contributed significantly to
overpopulation, they are the ones who are fighting for power, they are spending
huge amounts of money on weaponry, the money that they could spend on
improving agriculture, industry and education. These people go to war, disregarding
the fact that many of the problems facing them are caused by the very same war.
Women who have already witnessed the death of their children due to malnutrition
and are suffering from malnutrition themselves simply give birth to other children
ignoring what will happen to these children.

5. What can the people suffering from hunger do to save themselves?

First of all, they must stop fighting, they must end the wars, they must protest
against people who would like to go to war, and the governments must allocate the
money to education and industry instead. The people and in particular women must
pay attention to population control education programs prepared by international
organizations, women must not ignore family planning methods, people must also
seriously continue their studies and work hard in order to build their country.

35. Developed and developing countries

1. Why are some countries developed while others developing or even

underdeveloped?
Well, I think it is clear, unlike developing or underdeveloped countries, developed
countries pay more attention to research and development. They allocate more
development budget to their development schemes, these government policies
stimulates development. They provide excellent education for students; which in
turn leads to more development initiatives and finally speeds up development. In my
opinion developing and underdeveloped countries do not have any clear
development plans; which inhibits development in these countries.

2. How can the people and the governments of the developing or underdeveloped
countries accelerate the rate of development?
In order to accelerate development, we must begin from schools; I mean schools
must encourage the full development of students' talents. Talented students must
be respected and their abilities must be used, the governments must spend more on
research and development. The government must finance research programs and
researchers must be encouraged to conduct numerous researches day in day out.

3. How can the people and the governments of the developed countries help the
people and the governments of the developing or underdeveloped countries
accelerate the rate of development in their countries?
Unfortunately most developed countries help the less advanced ones for certain
political or economic reasons. However there are governments and nations that
would like to help the poorer nations for humanitarian reasons. Like individuals who

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donate money to charity organizations, these countries feel it is their religious,

social, or moral duty to help people in other countries who are suffering from
famine, drought, war, or disease. These countries can help the poorer countries by
opening up trade barriers, so that poor countries can sell their goods or by removing
subsidies so that imported goods from poorer countries can compete fairly. These
countries can also forgive debts. Many poor countries have huge interest
repayments on old loans.

4. Should the people and the governments of the developing countries accept the
aids of the developed countries? Why?
The poorer countries must try not to rely on the wealthier countries for some good
reasons. First of all, many rich countries donate money for political or diplomatic
reasons. They want to maintain a relationship of dependency with the recipient, or
simply to influence the government and direction of the country. A further reason
why many countries help the poorer ones is economic reasons. The donors may
want to control the supply of commodities such as oil, water, or wheat. Alternatively,
the richer country may want to ensure markets for their own products, whether
these are planes, computers or shoes

5. What are the main causes of development in a country?

In my opinion the first reason for development is the education system of the
country. First class education can create competent and creative graduates who can
in turn improve the technology in their country. Another factor leading to
development is the management in a country. Financial resources of a country must
be distributed fairly and specialists must be used in their own field, qualified and
talented people must be supported directly by the government. The last but not the
least is the laws of the country such as the administrative laws, the civil and the
criminal laws, laws must facilitate development.

36. The relevance of school examinations

1. Are school examinations good criteria to evaluate the knowledge of students?

In my opinion, one cannot truly assess the knowledge of students by simply
administering formal examinations, most exam questions are multiple choices,
especially questions in matriculation or entrance examinations, I believe school
examinations must be more practical than that, public examinations must be
changed completely, even if that means a higher examination fee, since these
nationwide exams must truly assess students’ knowledge of theory and practice.

2. What are the problems with the school examination in our schools nowadays?
Well, I think there are lots of problems with our school examination system. Exams
are mostly written and promote rote-learning and students are encouraged to cram
a day before the test; besides, examinations are actually anxiety-makers since they
are the mark of success and failure in our society. Most exam questions are multiple
choices, especially questions in matriculation or entrance examinations, I believe
school examinations must be more practical than that, public examinations must be
changed completely, even if that means a higher examination fee. Examinations also

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prevent students from reading widely since they need to learn the things rigidly laid
down by an examination syllabus.

3. How can the teachers compensate for the defects in the school examinations?
In my opinion, first of all teachers must not depend on examination result since they
lower the standards of teaching, for they deprive the teacher of all freedom, since
teachers themselves are often judged by examination results, instead of teaching
their subjects, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques.
Teachers must choose simpler and more effective ways of assessing their students’
abilities. Students must be required to present papers, lectures, reports; they must
conduct various researches and inform other students of their findings, in my
opinion students must be actively involved in the process of learning and teaching.

4. What other methods can be used to evaluate students’ knowledge except school
examinations?
We can choose simpler and more effective ways of assessing students’ abilities.
Students must be required to present papers, lectures, reports; they must conduct
various researches and inform other students and their teachers of their findings,
they can participate in discussions in order to discuss various scientific issues, they
must read other people’s work critically and discuss its pros and cons, in my opinion
students must be actively involved in the process of learning and teaching.
5. What are the reasons leading to the practicality of school examination?

I think school examinations must reflect the true abilities of students, they must
adequately test students' abilities, and in order to achieve such an aim, new
continuous testing strategies must be developed, I mean students must be under
observation during the whole course and their scores must be based on what they
do and how they work throughout the whole course and not just a particular day. In
my opinion school examinations must not affect the course syllabus, and people
must gradually forget the current rating system, frankly speaking, unfortunately
despite the progress made in every field of study, the methods of testing a person's
knowledge and ability remain as primitive as ever they were.

37. Smoking, addiction and banning tobacco advertising

1. Why do people smoke?

Well, I think different people smoke for different reasons; for instance, some
teenagers smoke since they are suffering from an inferiority complex and therefore
try to assert themselves by smoking, I guess smoking gives them a sense of grandeur,
some adults on the other hand justify their smoking by labeling it as a relaxing
experience, but in my opinion they smoke because they are habituated to smoking.

2. How can smoking affect your health?

Well, smoking can cause numerous kinds of diseases, including pulmonary diseases,
such as asthma, some may even contract lung cancer, smoking also causes serious
cardiovascular diseases, people who smoke usually develop blood cancer too, their
heart beat is usually weaker than normal and they may have a heart failure. There

74 IELTS Speaking
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are actually other problems too, most smokers have yellow teeth and finally lose
their decayed teeth.

3. What can we do to prevent smoking?

Well, I think we must start with families, I believe most people whose parents smoke
take up smoking somewhere in their lives, therefore in order to prevent people from
smoking, we must have special education programs for smoking parents, they must
know that they may unintentionally bring up smoking children, the government and
the media must as well have smoking awareness programs, people must be aware of
the dangers of smoking. They must clearly know the smoking-related diseases.
4. Should the government ban smoking altogether?
In my opinion, the government must impose a ban on smoking altogether, the
government knows better how perilous smoking is; it depletes our financial
resources, annually billions of dollars are flowing out of the country in order to
import tobacco products such as cigarettes, we are unfortunately exporting our
natural resources, and spending our earnings on cigarettes and puff them away,
furthermore it causes various kinds of diseases and the government has to pay for
the medical expenses, again we have to spend billions of dollars on smokers’
medication.

5. How can we inform the people in our society of the harmful effects of smoking?
The media can play a very effective role, the media need to inform the people of the
dangers of smoking by showing them what smoking-related diseases are and how
they may lead smokers to an early grave. The media must not advertise smoking in
any form, be it directly or indirectly. The education ministry must provide an
excellent awareness education program for children at schools; the government can
conduct serious nationwide anti-smoking campaigns in order to inform the people of
the effects of smoking.

38. Nuclear energy

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using nuclear energy?

First off, nuclear energy is an inexhaustible source of energy, and the nuclear plants
can provide the nation’s energy supplies forever, energy will be available for all and
energy prices will fall dramatically, energy generation using nuclear energy as a
power source will be almost clean and since nuclear plants can produce vast
amounts of energy, energy shortages will be eliminated forever and people won’t
face energy crisis any more as demand for this renewable source of energy continues
to rise.

2. How is nuclear power being abused in the world these days?

Well just like all the other technological breakthroughs, the nuclear science is being
abused by some countries in the world. Some countries use this modern technology
in order to produce nuclear weapons and use it against other less developed
countries. Nuclear bombs were used by the Americans in Hiroshima many years ago
and many people are still severely suffering from health problems such as cancer and
mutations.

IELTS Speaking 75
 Part 3 Samples

3. Do you think your country must utilize nuclear energy too?

Well, nuclear energy is an inexhaustible source of energy, energy generation using
nuclear energy will be almost clean and since nuclear plants can produce vast
amounts of energy, energy shortages will be eliminated forever considering these
advantages, and taking into account the fact that we will ultimately run out of our
non-renewable resources of energy such as fossil fuels one of these days, I think all
governments must use nuclear energy as a power source.

4. Why are countries trying to use nuclear energy instead of other forms of energy?
First off, nuclear energy is an inexhaustible source of energy, and the nuclear plants
can provide the nation’s energy supplies forever, energy will be available for all and
energy prices will fall dramatically, energy generation using nuclear energy as a
power source will be almost clean and since nuclear plants can produce vast
amounts of energy, energy shortages will be eliminated forever and people won’t
face energy crisis any more as demand for this renewable source of energy continues
to rise.
5. Do you think countries must use nuclear bombs as a deterrent?

In my opinion possession of nuclear bombs must be banned for all countries

regardless of how powerful and advanced they are, in my opinion using nuclear
bombs as a deterrent will ultimately lead to using them against other countries if the
occasion arises, I believe the world must impose economic and trade sanctions on
countries possessing atomic bombs and must force them to get rid of them as soon
as possible.

39. Problems that affect your country

1. What are the main problems in your country troubling the people?
I think one of the most important problems facing the people in my country is the
soaring inflation, the spiraling rate of inflation is caused by government’s wrong
policies, wages are not keeping pace with inflation and people’s savings are eroded
by inflation, in my opinion it is vital that inflation be kept under control, another
problem is the widespread corruption such as nepotism and bribery in the country.
There is police, government and financial corruption.

2. What would you do to solve the problems existing in your country these days, if
you were the president?
If I were the president, before anything I would tackle these problems powerfully,
first I would root out corruption of any kind, especially government and police
corruption, I would then enact powerful laws against inflation, in my administration,
inflation would reach a rate of 0% and then I would try to improve the living
standards in Iran, people should enjoy higher living standards, I would then uncover
mismanagement of any kind.

3. Where are the problems in your country stemming from?

I think most problems are arising from mismanagement in the country which is in
turn caused by government corruption, for instance qualified personnel are not
employed since people in charge show favoritism to their relatives and friends who

76 IELTS Speaking
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are by no means competent, mismanagement is also triggered by the wrong criteria

used to evaluate the applicants for a position, incompetent people cannot perform
well in their position. In my opinion the government is adopting the wrong
approaches to various problems and hence exacerbating the conditions.

4. What should the government do today to solve the problems?

The government needs to employ the most competent and reliable people in any
field, and in order to accomplish this, It needs to select the best criteria for assessing
the competence of the applicants and the government officials must be
knowledgeable themselves. The government also needs to take a problem-solving
approach to the problems in the society. The government must be primarily
interested in improving people’s living standards.

5. How do you forecast the future of your country in the next 30 years?
I think in the future the country will face even more problems concerning inflation
and mismanagement unless it starts to take action now. In the next thirty years, the
country will certainly make a progress in many areas, and the people’s living
standards will be enhanced and the people will enjoy better working conditions in
general. However the problem of mismanagement will have its impact on our
economy and industry. We will be overtaken by our competitors who are
progressing faster.
40. National and global customs and traditions

1. How important are ceremonies in our lives?

Well, as a matter of fact ceremonies play a very important role in our lives regardless
of the country in which we live. I mean every culture or nation has its own
ceremonies. In my country for instance, funeral and marriage ceremonies are very
special, people also conduct the New Year’s ceremonies. We also hold many other
ceremonies in order to mark various special occasions such as the ceremonies to
mark Iran’s revolution, most people in Iran would like to attend national and public
ceremonies.

2. Do you see the role of customs and traditions changing in the future?
Well, it appears to be more than a change. I mean I see the role of customs and
traditions disappearing in some nations unfortunately. Modernization has
overshadowed the role of customs and traditions and some people believe that a
modern society must dispense with all the customs and traditions. For some people
customs and traditions are restrictions put on their freedom in the modern world.

3. Do the government and the media pay attention to traditions in your country?
Well the government and the media are trying to preserve and revive the traditions
handed down from previous generation; the government allocates billions of
Tomans in order to keep our traditions alive, the media are trying to familiarize the
people with the nation’s cultural values by producing programs which promote our
national and religious traditions and customs, however unfortunately there are some
people in charge who have no respect for tradition and veneration for the past, and
they want to break with our national traditions therefore encourage the people to
depart from tradition.

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4. Are traditional ceremonies as important as they were in the past?

As a matter of fact, modernization has overshadowed the role of customs and
traditions and some people believe that a modern society must go against all the
customs and traditions even against the most well-established ones. For some
people customs and traditions are restrictions put on their freedom in the modern
world. Some traditions even the useful ones are dying out and new modernized
versions are taking their place. Nowadays most traditions are considered archaic and
medieval.

5. Is the new generation as interested in the traditions as the previous

generations?
Well, I think the new generation has lost its identity and is impressed by the modern
propaganda and has therefore broken with most traditions. Even the useful
traditions which have survived for so many generations are being questioned and
discarded. These young people hold a radical modernist view on traditions, on the
other hand there are also young people in my country who take a more moderate
view on this subject and maintain those traditions which are useful in life and rid the
society of those which are based on superstitions.

78 IELTS Speaking
 ‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺗﻚ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺗﻲ – ‪JUMP IELTS‬‬

‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺷﻨﻮﺍﻳﻲ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻧﺪﻥ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻧﻮﺷﺘﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻣﻜﺎﻟﻤﻪ‬

‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻓﻨﻮﺗﻴﻚ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻧﺪﻥ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻣﻔﺎﻫﻴﻢ ﮔﺮﺍﻣﺮ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺗﻠﻔﻆ ﻭ ﻟﻬﺠﻪ‬
‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻓﻮﻧﻮﻟﻮژﻱ‬ ‫ﺗﺤﻠﻴﻠﻲ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻋﻼﻣﺖ ﮔﺬﺍﺭﻱ ﻫﺎ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺳﺎﺧﺘﺎﺭ ﻭ ﺍﻟﮕﻮﻫﺎﻱ‬
‫• ﺣﻘﻪ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺗﺴﺖ‬ ‫• ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻧﺪﻥ‬ ‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻣﻘﺎﻟﻪ ﻧﻮﻳﺴﻲ‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺎﺣﺒﻪ‬
‫• ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﭘﻴﺶ ﺑﻴﻨﻲ‬ ‫ﺍﻧﺘﻘﺎﺩﻱ‬ ‫• ﺍﺻﻮﻝ ﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻧﻮﻳﺴﻲ ‪ /‬ﺗﻮﺻﻴﻒ‬ ‫• ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻣﺪﻳﺮﻳﺖ ﻣﺼﺎﺣﺒﻪ‬
‫• ﺟﺎ ﺧﺎﻟﻲ ﻫﺎ‬ ‫• ﺩﺭﻙ ﺍﻳﺪﻩ ﺍﺻﻠﻲ ﭘﺎﺭﺍﮔﺮﺍﻑ‬ ‫ﻧﻤﻮﺩﺍﺭ‬ ‫• ﻓﺮﺍﮔﻴﺮﻱ ﻭ ﺗﻤﺮﻳﻦ ﻣﺤﺘﻮﺍﻱ‬
‫• ﺳﻮﺍﻝ ﻫﺎﻱ ﭼﻨﺪ ﮔﺰﻳﻨﻪ ﺍﻱ‬ ‫• ﺩﺭﺳﺖ ‪ /‬ﻏﻠﻂ ‪ /‬ﺩﺍﺩﻩ ﻧﺸﺪﻩ‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺎﺣﺒﻪ‬
‫• ‪Matching‬‬
‫• ﺟﺎ ﺧﺎﻟﻲ ﻫﺎ‬
‫• ﺳﻮﺍﻝ ﻫﺎﻱ ﭼﻨﺪ ﮔﺰﻳﻨﻪ ﺍﻱ‬

‫ﻫﺮ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﺷﺎﻣﻞ ﺩﻩ ﺟﻠﺴﻪ ﺍﺳﺖ‪) .‬ﻫﺮ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﺑﻄﻮﺭ ﻛﺎﻣﻼ ﺟﺪﺍﮔﺎﻧﻪ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭ ﻣﻲ ﺷﻮﺩ(‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﻃﻮﻝ ﺩﻭﺭﻩ ‪ 5‬ﻫﻔﺘﻪ ‪ /‬ﻫﻔﺘﻪ ﺍﻱ ﻳﻚ ﺭﻭﺯ‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭﻱ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﺩﺭ ﭘﻨﺞ ﺭﻭﺯ – ﻫﺮ ﺭﻭﺯ ﺩﻭ ﺟﻠﺴﻪ )‪ 5‬ﺗﺎ ‪ 8‬ﻋﺼﺮ ‪ 9 /‬ﺗﺎ ‪ 12‬ﻇﻬﺮ(‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﻫﺰﻳﻨﻪ ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺵ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﻫﺮ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ‪ 108000‬ﺗﻮﻣﺎﻥ‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﺷﺮﻭﻉ ﻳﻚ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﻫﺮ ‪ 2‬ﻫﻔﺘﻪ‬ ‫‪o‬‬
‫ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ ﺩﺭ ﻳﻚ ﮔﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ = ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ ﺷﺨﺼﻲ ﻭ ﺣﻤﺎﻳﺖ ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺷﻲ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺗﻤﺎﻣﻲ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻫﺎ‬ ‫‪o‬‬

‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺗﻚ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺗﻲ ﻓﻘﻂ ﺗﻮﺳﻂ ﺍﺳﺎﺗﻴﺪ ‪ ، JUMP IELTS‬ﺍﺑﺎﺫﺭ ﻋﻠﻴﺰﺍﺩﻩ ﻭ ﺭﺿﺎ ﻣﺮﻭﺗﻲ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻨﺪ ﺷﺪ‪.‬‬
MONO-SKILL TRAINING WORKSHOP – JUMP IELTS
LISTENING READING WRITING SPEAKING

• Phonetic Skills • Analytical Tips • Grammar • Pronunciation

• Phonological • Critical Tips Concepts & Accent
Rules • Heading • Punctuation Training
• Test Tricks • True/False/Not Training • Interview Form
• Prediction Skills Given • Essay Writing Building
• Gap Filling • Matching • Letter Writing / • Interview
Graph Management
• Multiple Choice • Gap Filling
Description Skills
• Matching • Multiple Choice
• Interview
Content Pratice

o Each Workshop Consists of 10 Sessions.

o Each Workshop Is Run Independently.
o Each Workshop Takes 5 Weeks.
o Workshops Are Held Between 9 – 12 am / 5 – 8 pm.
o Tuition Fee Is 108000 Per Skill.
o There Is a Workshop Every Fortnight.
o Registration for One Skill Equals Self-study Program for All Other Skills
 ‫ﻓﺮﺁﻳﻨﺪ ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ – ‪JUMP IELTS‬‬

‫ﺷﺮﻭﻉ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ‬ ‫ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﺭﻳﺰﻱ ﻭ ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ‬ ‫ﺟﻠﺴﻪ ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ‬ ‫ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺳﻄﺢ‬

‫ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ‬
‫)ﻇﺮﻑ ﺣﺪﺍﻛﺜﺮ ﺩﻭ ﻫﻔﺘﻪ‬ ‫)ﻇﺮﻑ ‪ 72‬ﺳﺎﻋﺖ ﭘﺲ ﺍﺯ‬ ‫ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺕ ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﻧﻈﺮ‬
‫)ﺩﺭ ﺍﻳﻦ ﻣﺮﺣﻠﻪ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ‬
‫ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖ‬ ‫)ﭘﺲ ﺍﺯ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺳﻄﺢ‬
‫ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺷﺮﻛﺖ ﺩﺭ ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ‬
‫ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﻧﻈﺮ ﺩﻋﻮﺕ‬
‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﻧﻈﺮ ﺧﻮﺩ‬
‫ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻭ ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ ﻻﺯﻡ‬ ‫ﺩﺭ ﺟﻠﺴﻪ ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ‬ ‫)ﺟﻬﺖ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﻭﻗﺖ‬
‫ﺛﺒﺖ ﻧﺎﻡ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﻛﺮﺩ(‬ ‫ﺷﺮﻛﺖ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﻧﻤﻮﺩ(‬ ‫ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ(‬
‫ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﺷﺪ(‬ ‫ﺩﻋﻮﺕ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻴﺪ ﺷﺪ(‬

‫ﺑﺮﺍﻱ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺯﻣﺎﻥ ﺗﻌﻴﻴﻦ ﺳﻄﺢ ﺑﺎ ﺷﻤﺎﺭﻩ ‪ 80‬ﻭ ‪ 021 – 88541070‬ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺣﺎﺻﻞ ﻓﺮﻣﺎﻳﻴﺪ‪.‬‬
‫ﻛﺎﺭﮔﺎﻩ ﻫﺎﻱ ﺗﻚ ﻣﻬﺎﺭﺗﻲ ﻓﻘﻂ ﺗﻮﺳﻂ ﺍﺳﺎﺗﻴﺪ ‪ ، JUMP IELTS‬ﺭﺿﺎ ﻣﺮﻭﺗﻲ ﻭ ﺍﺑﺎﺫﺭ ﻋﻠﻴﺰﺍﺩﻩ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﻨﺪ ﺷﺪ‪.‬‬