[The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.]
Topic: Songs and Singing
Q. Did you enjoy singing when you were younger? [Why/Why not?]
A. Having listened to my mother, sister and maternal uncle singing, as some amateur singers, during my early childhood, I also started to learn and enjoy singing when I was younger. In fact, I used to take part in singing competitions during my school, college and university years, having won few awards as well.
Q. How often do you sing now? [Why?]
A. Well, I don’t exactly sing that often these days because of my busy life schedules, even though I do enjoy listening to some of my favourite songs whenever I get an opportunity, whether I am at work or just spending some quality time with my family and friends.
Q. Do you have a favourite song you like listening to? [Why/Why not?]
A. One song, that I really love listening to, is titled “I can feel it coming in the air tonight”, a debut solo single by the English singer, songwriter and drummer, Phil Collins, which was first released in 1981. This particular song reminds me of some good old time and it is one of the best pieces of music I have ever listened to.
Q. How important is singing in your culture?
A. Singing and songs are important aspects of my culture since they blend in perfectly with our lifestyles as well as our desires, dreams and emotions, making them almost like our integral parts of our daily lives and culture. Many important occasions in our country seem incomplete without the use of traditional music.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
You should say:
and explain why this actor/actress is so popular.
Cue Card Answer:
My favourite actor, who is also very popular in the whole country, is “Russell Crowe”. Being a very popular person in New Zealand, Russell Crowe has remained a very active actor, and a much sought-after Hollywood figure by directors, producers and writers alike, in the film industry for his exceptional acting abilities.
Starting his career as an actor during the early 90’s of the last century in Australia on a movie called “The Crossing”, Russell Crowe has performed brilliantly in all kinds of movies in Hollywood since then by exceeding all kinds expectations many times, as well as by eclipsing many of his fellow actors and actresses at the same time. Having born in 1964 in New Zealand and then subsequently moving to Australia, this great actor has received many academy awards for his best acting performances in movies such as “The Insider” and “A Beautiful Mind”. He even won an Oscar academy award for his best acting role in the year of 2000 for “Gladiator”. He is currently divorced and living with his two children.
Russell Crowe is a very popular person in my country, New Zealand, because of his great artistic capabilities since he is not only a film actor but also a producer and a singer of some great talents at the same time. This legendary figure in New Zealand is also famous for his huge sum of donations to different charity works not only in his native country but also in Australia where he currently resides. Being a cousin of former NZ cricket captains, Martin Crowe and Jeff Crowe, this great movie actor has remained a known sports fan and a supporter of the rugby league football team called “The South Sydney Rabbitohs” since his childhood. In fact, later on, he actually became one of the co-owners of his favourite rugby team, and he has remained so since 2006 until now.
Discussion topics: Watching films/movies
Q. What are the most popular types of films in your country?
Answer: New Zealanders love to watch various types of local and Hollywood movies including action, adventure, comedy, drama, romance, horror, science fiction, thriller and western. Young kiwis prefer movies based on comics and action movies while adults often choose to watch classical and dramas.
Some of the notable films in New Zealand are ‘Boy’, ‘Whale Rider’, ‘Second-Hand Wedding’, ‘Heavenly Creatures’ and River ‘Queen’. Apart from that, some of the best movies that were filmed in New Zealand include ‘Wolverine’, ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘The Last Samurai’ and ‘King Kong’.
Q. What is the difference between watching a film in the cinema and watching a film at home?
Answer: As for the difference between watching a film in the cinema and watching a film at home, one is able to enjoy a movie on a really big screen in a cinema while usually on the small screen at home. Of course, with the advent of home theatre system, it is possible to watch a film also on a bigger screen, but certainly not as big as the cinema, at home. Besides, one can easily watch his/her favourite movies in a very relaxed and comfortable family environment at a time of his/her convenience, be it with the help of a satellite/cable network or home video, at home while the same may not be possible in a cinema theatre. Of course, if someone is really big on the ‘quality of sound system’ of a film, it is better to watch a movie in cinema since watching it at home just won’t offer the same quality sound.
But, overall, it looks like watching a film at home is more enjoyable and relaxing than going to a cinema because of our busy schedules and time constraints.
Q. Do you think cinemas will close in the future?
Answer: I believe more people will enjoy movies at home due to the advancement of technology, but this does not mean that cinema halls will cease to exists in the future. In fact, watching a movie at a theatre with friends or family has a different appeal and people will always enjoy a nice movie at a large screen with the digital sound system at a theatre while enjoying hot and delicious popcorns.
Discussion topics: Theatre
Q. How important is the theatre in your country’s history?
Answer: New Zealand has quite a strong history of drama, theatre acts and singing. It was generally the sort of entertainment intellectual and wealthy people sought for in the past. And they used to enjoy such performance with great fervour and enthusiasm.
People who were involved in creating and producing dramas and theatrical acts have helped preserve our own cultural values and ideologies, and we are proud of this glorious past. However, it is a matter of great regret that, this trend is declining day by day and people, specifically the youth, are becoming more smartphone-oriented rather than enjoying a great performance at a theatre.
Q. How strong a tradition is it today in your country to go to the theatre?
Answer: Despite a declining trend, it is still a much stronger trend in my country for people to go to the theatre and enjoy movies and dramas. Watching a theatrical performance or a movie at a theatre is more than just enjoying the acts, it is rather a social activity that brings people together.
Q. Do you think the theatre should be run as a business or as a public service?
Answer: As far as the issue of “whether theatre should be run as a business or public service” is concerned, let’s just say that in an increasingly free-economy, it is not possible to run a cultural thing like “theatre” as a public service since they receive very little or no public funds from the governments. Besides, theatre is not an “absolute necessity” for the people, and as such, it is not entitled to receive any public funds. So, the theatre has to be run as a “business enterprise” if it has to survive.
This post was last modified on 16th June 2020 7:42 pm