IELTS Speaking #16 – Topic 1.

13: Weather
1. What is the climate/weather like in your hometown?
“Well, it‟s quite changeable really, depends on the season but extreme weather in general. Our winters
are absolutely freezing and our summers are boiling hot. You know, we can have periods of time with
clear blue skies then all of a sudden we‟ll have torrential rain. No one knows exactly, even the beautiful
weather forecast ladies.”
Từ vựng:
changeable bất thường
extreme weather thời tiết khắc nghiệt
freezing lạnh
boiling hot nóng như thiêu như đốt
torrential rain những cơn mưa xối xả
weather forecast ladies cô dự báo thời tiết

2. Do you like rainy days or sunny days?

“Well, I suppose that it depends on my mood and how busy I am on that particular day. For example, if I
have to work or have a lot to do that day, then I‟d prefer it be sunny outside but if I don‟t have anything
to do and I‟m off work, which is rare, then I don‟t mind the rain coz I find it the best to curl up on my
comfy couch to watch movies or read books when it chuck it down outside.”
Từ vựng:

curl up cuộn tròn

comfy couch chiếc ghế sofa thoải mái

chuck it down = rain

3. What’s your favorite kind of weather?

“Actually I prefer the cloudy day as it‟s neither too hot nor too cold. The reason is that it‟s the perfect
time for hanging out and photographing, you know. A little bit breezy would be nice. Perfect!”
Từ vựng:

cloudy day trời râm, nhiều mây

breezy gió nhẹ

4. Do you prefer to spend a vacation in a hot or a cold place?

“Well, to be quite honest, I don‟t like either of them but if I have to choose between the two, hot place it
is of course. What would I be supposed to do or enjoy in the rain anyway. There was time our outside trip
got rained off, all we could do is staying indoor and complaining about the weather. It sucked.”
Từ vựng:
get rained off bị hoãn lại do lý do thời tiết

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5. Does the weather influence your mood?
“Yes, it certainly does. You know. It‟s hard to stay calm in stifling weather during the heatwaves as well
as not feel down when it rains, you know with a dismal and overcast sky. It‟s even miserable when you
have to go out and get drenched. So. yeah, definitely, the weather have huge impact on my mood, I have
to admit.”
Từ vựng:

stifling weather thời tiết ngột ngạt, khó chịu

heatwaves những ngày nắng nóng

dismal u ám, ảm đạm

overcast bao phủ, bao trùm

get drenched bị ướt mưa, thấm mưa

6. Which months have the best weather in your country?

“Well, I suppose it‟s a matter of personal taste really. I like it around the end of October and November,
you know, the middle of autumn when there has mild climate, very agreeable weather. I‟m not fond of
scorching days we often get during the summer and it‟s not freezing cold during these months yet, we
still get lots of sunny spells. It‟s kind of nice.”
Từ vựng:
personal taste sở thích cá nhân của mỗi người
mild climate thời tiết hài hòa
agreeable weather thời tiết dễ chịu
scorching nóng như thiêu như đốt
freezing cold lạnh cóng
spell đợt

Một số từ vựng khác về chủ để này các bạn có thể dùng cho câu trả lời riêng của mình. Các bạn hãy tự tra
từ điển các từ này để biết nghĩa và cách đọc, cách phát âm của nó nhé. Hãy cố gắng đặt một câu với một
từ, một câu có nghĩa nhé, không đặt đối phó.
Nouns
climate blizzard (bão tuyết) shower (cơn mưa)
spell (đợt) average temperature weather forecast

Verbs
shift drizzle (mưa phùn)
vary to be rained off (to be cancelled or postponed due to poor weather)

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Adjectives
stifling (ngột ngạt, khó thở) + (rain) torrential (mưa xối
weather xả) balmy (=warm) sunny
sun-drenched (đầy nắng, ngập agreeable (dễ chịu) + sweltering
nắng) weather (=hot) breezy
muggy
chilly = nippy = freezing (=cold) mild (climate) (=humid)
clammy
scorching (nóng như thiêu như đốt) mild (winter) (=humid)
Idioms
chuck it down (=rain heavily) In spring it usually chuck it down for days.
rain or sunshine (=in all weather) Rain or sunshine –I love to be outdoors.
like a sauna (= a hot and humid place) My city is like a sauna in summer.

Part 1-style questions

Examiner: What’s the weather like in your country?
Katie: It‟s quite changeable really … we have periods of time with clear blue skies then all of a sudden
we‟ll have torrential rain.

Examiner: Which months have the best weather in your country?

Ernst: Well … I suppose it‟s a matter of personal taste really … I like it around the end of October and
November … I‟m not fond of the heatwaves we often get during the summer … it‟s not freezing
cold during these months and we still get lots of sunny spells.

Examiner: Does it bother you much when it rains?

Junko: It depends … if I get caught in the rain and I get drenched I don‟t like it … but I‟m a gardener so a
drop of rain is good for my plants.

Part 2-style task

Describe a time when you experienced extreme weather conditions. You should say
I was studying English in a language school a few years ago … we were in Cornwall in the UK … we‟d
been enjoying lovely sunny days … not a cloud in the sky … when all of a sudden there was a change in
the weather … we were in town walking around the shops when it started to pour down … I‟d never seen
such heavy rain before … within about 10 minutes the roads were full of water … I think they call it
a flash flood … it was like being in the middle of a tropical storm … the water was almost up to my
knees … the weather forecast hadn‟t predicted it so everyone was taken by surprise … I‟m not sure you
could call it „extreme‟ weather as a few hours later it started to clear up … the sun came out and slowly
the water level went down … but a lot of people‟s houses were flooded so it would have been extreme
for them … I found it all quite exciting … in my country we generally have a very mild climate and don‟t
often get floods like this so it was quite an experience for me.

Part 3-style questions

Examiner: Do you think the weather affects how people feel?
Tierre: Absolutely … yes … I don‟t mind the occasional cold spell but I think the winter months can
make you feel down. I hate having to leave the house in the winter … there‟s often a thick fogevery
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morning and we sometimes get bitterly cold winds … the winter certainly makes me feel a little
depressed … though having said that … it‟s always nice to see the town covered in a blanket of snow.

Examiner: Do you think the weather is changing due to global warming?

Ceri: I don‟t know if it‟s due to global warming or not but the weather in my country is certainly
changing … we‟ve been getting quite mild winters lately … the temperatures are sometimes below
freezing but only occasionally … and then during the summer it can get boiling hot with a lot of older
people even suffering from heatstroke.

Examiner: In which ways are weather forecasts useful?

Sinita: Well … if you‟re planning a trip or going on holiday it‟s important to know whether you‟ll need
to dress up warm or take an umbrella … farmers need to know what the long-range forecast is so they can
plan their work … I suppose people who organise outside events need to know as well in case things
get rained off.

Definitions
to be below freezing: below zero degrees Celsius
bitterly cold: very cold and unpleasant
a blanket of snow: a complete covering of snow
boiling hot: very hot (informal)
changeable: weather that often changes
a change in the weather: when weather conditions change
clear blue skies: a sky without clouds
to clear up: when clouds or rain disappear
to come out (the sun): when the sun appears out of a cloudy sky
a cold spell: a short period of cold weather
to dress up warm: to wear warm clothes to protect yourself against wintry conditions
a drop of rain: a little bit of rain
a flash flood: a sudden and severe flood
freezing cold: very cold (informal)
to get caught in the rain: to be outside when it rains unexpectedly
to get drenched: to get very wet
heatstroke: a serious condition caused by being too long in hot weather
a heatwave: a period of very hot weather
heavy rain: intense rainfall
long-range forecast: the weather forecast for several days or weeks ahead
mild climate: a climate without extreme weather conditions
mild winter: a winter that isn‟t particularly cold
not a cloud in the sky: see „clear blue skies‟ above
to pour down: to rain heavily
to be rained off: to be cancelled or postponed due to poor weather
sunny spells: short periods of sunny weather
thick fog: a dense fog that makes visibility very poor
torrential rain: see „heavy rain‟ above
tropical storm: a storm typical of ones that you find in tropical climates
weather forecast: a TV/radio programme or section in a newspaper/magazine which predicts weather
conditions

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