Aptis Speaking 5 con Ejemplos de Respuestas B2

Speaking Part One

• Please tell me about your first school.

My first school was called St Mary’s. My older brother was already going there, and I couldn’t wait to start! I used to drive my parents crazy by asking “When can I go to school?” I was four when I started, and I remember that everything seemed so big! We would do reading in the morning, then have a break. They used to give all of us a mini carton of milk – I loved it!

• What did you do last weekend?

Last weekend I finally got to visit my grandparents. I hadn’t been able to go since the pandemic started, as they live in a different province. We had a great time together – my grandfather had prepared a wonderful meal, and my grandmother couldn’t stop saying how happy she was. It was a very moving occasion. I’m looking forward to going again soon.

• Please tell me about your favourite writer.

I love reading, so this is a hard choice to make. I suppose that if I had to choose just one, it would have to be Isabel Allende. She may not produce great literature, but I think her stories really touch people. She writes about real experiences, such as when she lost her daughter to leukaemia. And she had an interesting life growing up under the dictatorship in Chile.

Speaking Part Two

• Describe this picture.           
  

This photo shows three people travelling by metro ­– it could have been taken in Madrid, or any big city with an underground system. It’s not crowded, so it can’t be rush-hour. The woman looks rather serious – she’s concentrating on her mobile phone. She’s wearing casual clothes, so maybe she’s going shopping. One of the men is reading – he looks like a commuter, as he’s wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. The other man might be a tourist or a student, as he’s dressed more informally and he’s got a backpack. He’s also checking his mobile.

• What types of pubic transport are popular in your country?

Well, it depends on whether you live in a city or a village, but I’d say most people probably travel by bus. There’s quite a good railway network in Spain too, but the trains don’t always reach small villages. So if you haven’t got a car, you have to go by bus. For long distances buses tend to be more expensive than trains, though, and that puts people off. Another form of public transport that’s popular around town is the tram. People like them because they don’t cause pollution, and the service is reliable – they’re not affected by traffic jams like buses.

• How has public transport changed in the past 50 years?

In lots of ways … Within cities, bikes have become a lot more popular. Most towns and cities have bike-hire too, and it’s a good alternative if you’re fit enough and there are enough bike-lanes to travel safely round town. I think local councils have been trying to provide cleaner forms of public transport in general, especially in recent years. Electric buses have been introduced in many towns and cities. And an old-fashioned form of transport that has made a comeback is the tram. It’s far more environmentally-friendly, as I was saying before.

Speaking Part Three

• Tell me what you see in these two pictures.

The first photo shows an orchestra, and the musicians look as if they’re in their early teens, whereas in the second picture there’s a punk rock band, and they look at least forty. The young violinists are all wearing formal white shirts and black trousers, while the punks are dressed as you’d expect, in T-shirts and jeans covered in chains. Both photos were probably taken during a concert, or perhaps a rehearsal. The punks have spiky hairstyles, while the teenagers look more ordinary – except for one with pink hair, who could be a secret punk fan!

• What types of people go to these events?

Well, it’s easy to generalise when you’re talking about tastes in music. I suppose most people who go to punk concerts are either young people who want to listen to loud music, or older people who used to be punks themselves. As for classical music concerts, the typical audience would probably be middle-aged or old people. That said, classical music also attracts young people, especially if they play a musical instrument. I think both types of music could be popular with all age-groups, in fact. It also depends on what you’ve grown up listening to, I think.

• Which event would you prefer to go to and why?

It depends … I’m not a fan of punk rock, but I do like rock and pop, so I’d rather go to a rock concert than a classical one. I love the atmosphere of a live gig, and the fact that you can dance and let your hair down. I’m not really into concerts where you have to sit in your seat and keep quiet. I prefer to join in and sing along with the well-known songs. On the other hand, I’ve really enjoyed the few classical concerts I’ve been to, so maybe that’s something I could do more of in future – it’s always good to try something new.

Speaking Part Four

NOTA: Es importante asegurarse de responder a las tres preguntas, pero a menudo es más natural combinar las dos primeras.

• Tell me about a time when you had to use new technology.

• How did you feel about it?

I’ll never forget the first time I had to use technology to give a presentation to my colleagues.  I’d always used a slide projector before, but this time I had to connect my laptop to a different computer system.  First of all, the cables were wrong, as I had a Mac and they had PCs.   So that was frustrating.  Then we couldn’t make the sound work.  I was feeling more and more nervous.  I finally managed to get everything ready, and I introduced myself.  But then I must have clicked on the wrong key, because instead of my PowerPoint presentation, I ended up showing my holiday photos!  As you can imagine, I felt really embarrassed!  I went bright red and wished I was a thousand miles away!  I’m better with technology now …

• In what ways do you think technology has improved our lives?

In my opinion, technology has improved our lives enormously, especially since the pandemic.  We’ve been able to keep in touch with family and friends and share special moments.  Having video calls has meant we can see each other’s faces – not just hear voices, like on the phone.  What’s more, many people have managed to keep on working by using technology such as video-conferences on Zoom.  And it’s not just about computers – technology has also made a big difference in our daily lives.  New gadgets like the Thermomix save us lots of time in the kitchen.  To my mind, having more free time is one of the biggest improvements.  And technological developments like electric cars and buses have improved our environment too.