What is your favourite colour? = What colours do you like?
Answer 1
Well, natural and bright pastel colours such as mango yellow, baby blue or light
pink always spark/capture my imagination. Among those colours, blue is the
colour in which I love the most. I love each and every shade of blue. It never
fails to bring me a warm soothing feeling. It can be worn on many occasions
also!
Answer 2
My favourite colour probably changes on a daily basis. But I’ve always been
particularly drawn to autumnal colours like red, yellow and orange. That said,
darker colours like black and grey are also appealing to me.
Answer 3
My favourite colour is black because it’s classic and versatile. A lot of my clothes
are black, but I enjoy brown as well. Around the house, I prefer brighter
colours but nothing too loud(Source: Lessons for IELTS Advanced speaking
book).
Why do you like it?
I can’t really explain why. It’s like being asked why you like certain foods more
than others. There’s no logical answer, it’s just a matter of personal taste. In
some parts of the world, the colour red is an indication of danger, in other places,
it associated with love and romance or even good luck. Honestly, I simply like
the colour red because I like it. As Mohammed Ali said, “Different strokes for
different folks.”
Was this colour your favorite when you were a child?
No, I think as a child, I preferred brighter colours, like blues and greens. I don’t
really remember very well, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t wear much black back
then. And at school, we used to paint with lots of vivid colours (Source: Lessons
for IELTS Advanced speaking book).
Is your favourite colour popular with your friends also?
I would say so, yes. You can’t really go wrong with black because pretty much
everyone looks good in it. My male friends definitely prefer dark colours, and all
my female friends wear a lot of black because they think it makes them look
slimmer. (Source: IELTS Advanced speaking book).
Are there any colours you don’t like?
Answer 1
Dark and dull colours are not my kind of thing what so ever, especially black
and purple. For some reasons, I don’t know why black always bring me a
depressing feeling. I am not confident in black at all. Purple is not an
exception as well, it is too strong for me in all honesty.
Answer 2
Like I said before (or = As I mentioned earlier, I don’t really like bright
colours. I’m kind of an introverted person, so bright colours give me a headache.
I especially don’t like pink and yellow.
What colour would you choose for your room?
When I’m painting a room, it’s usually my instinct to choose a light but warm
colour such as magnolia. Painting a room white makes the place seem cold and
clinical, but a very dark colour would create an equally depressing ambience. I
think the most suitable colours for rooms are neutral pastel tones that are pleasant
but also largely unnoticed.
Do you like to wear dark or bright colours?
Answer 1
As I mentioned earlier, bright colours are my favourtie outfit of choice daily. I
am always full of beans whilst wearing these colours. My favourite colour of
choice is a white shirt with a light pink skirt. That combination of colours make
me as happy as Larry. And when you are in a happy mood, you will feel much
more confident and be far more productive.
Answer 2
I guess I’d say both because my go-to colours are black and white. This is
probably because I don’t like to think too much about what to wear every day. If
most of your clothes are the same colour, you don’t need to fret over which items
will match with each other. On the whole I tend to favour dark colours rather
than loud and vivid ones.
What do you think you can learn about people from the colours they like?
I suppose you might learn a little about their personality, such as whether
they’re quite expressive or creative, or whether they are introverted or
extroverted. But I don’t think you can learn too much about a person just from the
colours that they like. (Source: Lessons for IELTS Advanced speaking book).
What’s the difference between men and women’s preference on colours?
Honestly, I don’t think there’s much of a difference between the colours men
like, and those that women prefer. Culturally, it’s assumed that girls like pink
while boys are generally associated withblue, but this is broadly a societal
preference, not a personal one. Actually, I do have some male friends who indeed
love wearing pink and yellow (lol).
Which colour do most people like in your country? = What’s the most popular
colour in Vietnam?
Answer 1
Red is a meaningful colour in my country. It’s a symbol of luck. You can see a lot
of it at special occasions, like weddings. As well as this, it’s the colour of
the country’s flag and also of course the colour worn by the national football
team who are very much so idolised and celebrated here.
Answer 2
Hmm, I don’t know if there are any colours that are particularly popular. I think
it depends on each person’s personality. Some people like bright colours, while
others prefer dark ones.
Vocabulary highlights:
1. Pastel noun/ˈpæs.təl/: having a pale soft colour: tông màu nhẹ nhàng
Example: Their house is decorated in pastel shades.
2. Magnolia adjective/mæɡˈnəʊ.li.ə/: of a pale cream colour
3. Capture someone'sattention = capture/spark someone's imagination =
to interest someone: khiến ai đó thích thú
Example: Most of the textbooks we looked at were too dull to
capture students' attention.
4. Shade noun /ʃeɪd/: a type or degree of a colour: sắc thái của màu
Example:
Their kitchen is painted an unusual shade of yellow/an unusual yellow shade.
5. Soothing adjective /ˈsuː.ðɪŋ/: making you feel calm: thư giãn
Example: I put on some nice soothing music.
Example: Her words had a soothing effect.
6. On a daily basis= every day: hàng ngày
Example: Restaurant just open almost on a daily basis
7. That said = having said that = despite what has just been said: mặc dù vậy
Example: He forgets most things, but having said that, he
always remembers my birthday.
8. Appeal verb/əˈpiːl/: to interest or attract someone: thu hút ai đó
Example: It’s a programme designed to appeal mainly to 16 to 25-year-olds.
9. Versatile adjective/ˈvɜː.sə.taɪl/: able to change easily from one activity to
another or able to be used for many different purposes: đa năng, linh hoạt
Example: He’s a very versatile young actor who's as happy in highbrow dramas as
he is in TV comedies.
10. Indication noun/ˌɪn.dɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/: a sign that something exists, is true, or
is likely to happen: dấu hiệu
Example: There are few indications (that) the economy is on an upswing. (Có một
vài dấu hiệu cho thấy nền kinh tế đang trên đà phát triển.)
Example: Helen’s face gave no indication of what she was thinking.
11. Associate with sb phrasal verb /əˈsəʊ.si.eɪt/: to spend time with
a group of people, especially people who are disapproved of: liên kết đến….
Example: I don't want my children associating with drug addicts and alcoholics.
12. “Different strokes for different folks”: mỗi người 1 ý
13. Vivid adjective/ˈvɪv.ɪd/: very brightly coloured: các màu sáng sặc sỡ
Example: She was wearing a vivid pink shirt.
14. In all honesty/seriousness/truthfulness = said
when expressing your opinion honestly, seriously, or truthfully: thành thật mà nói
thì
Example: In all honesty, I do have some criticisms to make.
15. Honestly adverb/ˈɒn.ɪst.li/: in a way that is honest: thành thật mà nói thì
Example: They have always dealt honestly and fairly with their customers.
Example: I can't honestly say what time i'll be home.
16. Depressing adjective/dɪˈpres.ɪŋ/: making you feel unhappy and
without hope for the future: chán nản
Example: This weather is so depressing.
17. Introverted adjective /ˈɪn.trə.vɜː.tɪd/: shy, quiet,
and preferring to spend time alone rather than often being with other people: hướng
nội
Example: an introverted child
18. Extrovert adjective /ˈek.strə.vɜːtid/ -
an energetic happy person who enjoys being with other people: hướng ngoại
Example: an extrovert personality
19. Instinct noun /ˈɪn.stɪŋkt/: the
way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having
to think or learn about it: bản năng
Example: All his instincts told him to stay near the car and wait for help.
20. Clinical adjective/ˈklɪn.ɪ.kəl/: expressing no emotion or feelings: không có
cảm xúc gì cả…
Example: She seems to have a very clinical attitude towards her children.
21. Ambience noun =ambiance /ˈæm.bi.əns/: the character of a place or
the quality it seems to have: bầu không khí
Example: Despite being a busy city, Dublin has the ambience of a country town.
22. Neutral adjective/ˈnjuː.trəl/: having features or characteristics that are
not easily noticed: trung tính
Example: Kelly wants dark red walls, but I'd like a more neutral colour like cream.
23. Be full of beans = to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm: tràn đầy năng
lượng
Example: i’ve never known anyone be so full of beans before breakfast.
24. Happy as Larry = as happy as Larry = extremely happy
25. Fret verb /fret/: to be nervous or worried: lo lắng
Example: She spent the day fretting about/over what she'd said to Nicky..
26. Culturally adverb/ˈkʌl.tʃər.əl.i/: relating to the habits, traditions,
and beliefs of a society: trên khía cạnh văn hoá mà nói thì….
27. Societal adjective /səˈsaɪ.ə.təl/: relating to or involving society: thuộc về xã
hội
Example: societal change/concerns/problems/values
PART 2
Describe a place that was full of colour that you remember going to
You should say:
Where was this place
Why did you go there
What did you do at this place
And say why you remember going to this colourful place
I remember during my childhood that family loved going for scenic drives in the
countryside. On weekends we were usually all free and ready to do something nice
together. We’d all hop in the car and drive around on quiet windy roads and stare
out at the picturesque landscape. The best time to do that was usually in mid-
Autumn towards the end of October. I grew up in a place that has a pretty
temperate climate and during that time the leaves changed to become magnificent
colours. The forests not too far away from my home were especially colourful due
to them being full of red maple trees.
They really deserved that name because the leaves on those trees at that time had
such a rich mixture of colours, including bright gold and intense reds and yellows.
Most of the time was filled with just driving around and staring out of the car
window. However, we sometimes stopped and did other things. One thing was
hiking around on clearly marked forest trails in the wilderness. I really enjoy the
outdoors and all of its splendours. Oh I can’t forget to say this. The best bit that I
remember doing, when I was pretty small, was jumping in the crunchy leaves and
breathing in the invigorating fresh air. Of course, it was a bit cooler then, so we
had to dress in layers.
.
The small towns that we also passed through were also very charming and had
good places to occasionally stop in. I remember once we stopped at a bakery and
bought some home made food to have a picnic outside. There is nothing like
eating freshly made pumpkin pie while being surrounded by the dazzling display
of colours. I guess you can say that I am very fortunate to see a lot of the beauty
that nature offers. There was about a month long of quality autumn leave viewing
near my old hometown. I really loved seeing the spectacular hues during that
season. Thank you. That’s all I have to say.
PART 3
1. What colours are commonly used for the decoration of peoples homes?
It seems to me that it can depend on the age of the home. Older homes that haven’t
been renovated in awhile tend to have duller colours. I’m not sure why, but grey
seemed to be a pretty popular colour back them. However, nowadays, it seems that
people enjoy using different colours for various rooms. Kitchens tend to be
brighter with the use of colours like yellow and orange. Living rooms, on the other
hand, use more comfortable colours, such as soft blues and greens. Oh, and the
ceilings are often painted white. I guess that colour helps make rooms appear like
they have more space.
2. Can colours have any influence on people and their mood?
I’m not a psychology expert but I believe that I have heard somewhere that they
can. I heard that some colours are seen as relaxing while others can increase energy
levels. I think that’s why softer colours are now used more in rooms where people
relax, such as the bed room and living room. Whereas, in the morning people head
straight for the kitchen and dining room and want to socialize and wake up with a
fresh brew of coffee. Therefore, it’s not so surprising why some energy-boosting
bright colours, such as orange and red, are often used in those rooms.
3. What colours are important when people buy things?
Well I guess that the colour depends on what the person is buying. Obviously
people who shop for groceries will choose the matching colour for ripe fruit, such
as yellow for bananas, and orange for oranges. However, for something like
clothes, people have a wide range of preferences, and they often choose the colour
they feel that will be the best match for them and their other clothes. For more
expensive items, like cars, people’s personality may show the most here. People
who are more conservative and safety minded may go for a solid colour like blue.
Whereas a risk taker or someone who likes attention may go for red or yellow.
4. Is colour really important in advertisements?
Well, it’s obvious that colour can have a tremendous psychological impact on
people. For instance, I’ve heard that most people like the colour blue, so it’s not
surprising that it is used in a lot of advertisements. And the colour green seems to
be the in thing now, that is now that people are more concerned about their health
and environmental issues. So a product wishing to portray that may use this colour
in it’s advertising. Another thing is that some colours are just eye-catching. It’s no
wonder that most for sale signs use the colour red since people are bound to notice
that colour.
5. Are pictures in textbooks really important?
Hmm. Is it really important for textbooks to use pictures? I suppose that there are
many reasons why course books use them. People say that a picture often says a
thousand words and I believe that to be true. Using illustrations helps to aid in the
learning and may be more effective than just describing something.. Also, there are
different types of learners and some appreciate seeing it rather than reading it. And
don’t forget that having a little bit of variety can also help to engage learners.
Another thing is that course books also have to compete with other ones to be sold.
Therefore, a dull book without photos or pictures has a greater chance of not being
chosen.
