Track 8

Track 8.

Now, in this section of the test, I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself and where you live.

Do you live in a house or an apartment at the moment?

Right now, I’m living in a house with two other students.

It’s a pretty big house with two floors, a garden and a shared bathroom.

I moved in during the summer.

Where do you live, in the city or the countryside?

Our house is in the city center, about five minutes walk from the train station.

We’re close to all of the shops and restaurants, and our school is about a 20-minute bus ride from my house.

There’s lots to see and do around there, so I’m pretty happy with the location.

Who else lives with you where you live?

Well, as I said, I live with two other students.

They both go to the same school as me.

One of them is from China and the other is from India.

I’m from Romania, so I think we live in a pretty international house!

Is there anything you don’t like about where you live?

Well, I don’t like sharing my bathroom with others and the kitchen is often very busy, but I think that’s normal for a shared house.

Also, we need to do the gardening regularly or things get out of control.

Sometimes the trains can be a little loud as well, especially in the mornings.

Now, let’s talk about shopping.

Where do most people go shopping where you live?

Most people go to the City gate shopping center, as it’s the biggest and has the most shops and restaurants.

There’s also a cinema and ice-rink, so people go there not just to shop, but to hang out with their friends as well.

It has all of the famous brands and most importantly, it’s warm in the winter!

When do you usually go shopping?

I usually go at the weekends as I’m too busy with my studies to go in the week.

The only problem is that the City gate gets very full at weekends and you have to wait a long time to get a bus back home, because so many people are trying to catch the bus at the same time as you.

Why do lots of young people like to go shopping at big shopping centers?

I think it’s because everything is in one place, and they’re clean and comfortable and it’s safe for young people to meet.

Where else can you go that has all of the shops and entertainment under one roof that the big malls have?

Would you ever do your shopping at the local market?

I’m not really sure as the local market is more for older people who just want to go and buy some cheaper food or clothes, and the styles and brands on sale at the market are a bit old-fashioned for me, personally.

Maybe my parents would be fine with going to the market, but there’s really nothing interesting for me there.