1.Whereaboutsdid you grow up?

I grew un here in Fuzhou (if you take the IELTS inFuzhou, use your hand to point at

the ground).I was born and raised here. Actually I have lived here myentire life (= my whole life).

I was born in a small town in Fujian Province, about 300kilometers north of Fuzhou. It’s pretty much a four-hour ride from here. I wasborn and raised there. I only moved out when I went to university. For the last2 years I have been attending school in Shanghai.

2. Howlong have you lived there (or here)?=How long did you live there? I have lived here my whole life. I have never left my hometown.

Just becareful with the tenses:have lived=You still live there. I lived=You don’tlive there anymore.

3. Doesyour family still live there?

Yes, they do. Most of my relatives still live in myhometown. This is why I go back there as often as possible. They all have jobsthere, and my parents built a house just outside my hometown. They don’t intendto move away.

4. Tell meabout the town or city you come from.

Use thesame words for your city:

pleasant expanding mild weather architecture renovatedworth a visit

Well, Fuzhou is a middle-sized city as Chinese cities go,in spite ofits 6 0r 7 million inhabitants. Fuzhou is located only 30 kilometersfrom the ocean, and it is surrounded by mountains. As a result, it is a verypleasant place to live. Because we live in SouthernChina, the weatherhere is pretty nice (= quite nice) all year round. Even in the winter

the temperatures are quite mild. Fuzhou has beendeveloping a lot, and recently the cityhas been expandingevery year. Although Fuzhou is an ancient city, it looks quite modern nowadays.There are many skyscrapers, and new shopping malls, as well as large streets inthe city center. There is an old quarter with old buildings and architecture,but it is being renovated at the moment. In addition, the food here isexcellent. There are quite a few parks and temples for tourists to visit. Ithink the city is definitely worth a visit. It's typically Chinese: it's a mixof ancient and contemporary (= modern).

5. Whatkind of p/ace is your hometown?

You must define the place:

exciting = lively quiet = peaceful nice = pleasantboring, noisy...

I would say my hometown is a small and peaceful citycompared to other huge metropolises in China. I think that nowadays peoplealways complain about traffic and noise, but Fuzhou is a quiet and pleasantcity in which to lead a comfortable life and raise a family. However, I agreethat it can also get a bit boring sometimes. Fuzhou is not as exciting asShanghai or Hong Kong of course, especially for young people.

6. What'sthe most interesting part of your hometown?

Well, that's a tough question because there isn't justone nice place in my city. There's a famous mountain called Gu Shan. It's aquiet place in the outskirts of the city. There's a path that goes up into thehills, and you can reach a stunning temple at the top. From up there, there'san impressive view over the whole city. In addition, I love the architectureandthe park around the temple. But there are other placesjust as good, like West Lake Park, or places along the Min River. My city has alot to offer.

7. What'sthe best thing about your hometown?

Well, I must say I love the food in my hometown! Fuzhouis famous for its sweet food. We have a lot of different specialties, such asfish balls. They're a mix of fish and meat together that are served in soup.They're really quite tasty. You should try them. In addition, we eat a lot ofsea food since we are very close to the coast. We get a lot of crabs and

shrimps, amazing fish, and jelly-fish too.The local cuisineis really delicious, and it’s a mix of flavors:sweet and sour,sometimes a bit spicy, with many kinds of salty snacks too.

8. Is yourhometown a good place for young people?I think it’s agreat place to study because we have some good high schools and pretty good

universities.In addition,there are not so many temptations(=distractions) inFuzhou You know, the night life is pretty boring, and there aren’t that manygreat places togo shopping either. I think that the young people whowere born here get tired of the city, butthose who come fromsmaller towns in Fujian Province find Fuzhou fun and lively. It’s a

question of perspective(=point of view).

9. Hasyour hometown changed in recent years?Yes, a lot. Youwouldn’t believe the changes that my city has undergone in the last10 years.

First of all, the city has modernized a lot. So now thereare plenty of new buildings and new residential areas everywhere. As a result,the city has been expanding every year. Ten years ago, Fuzhou was anold-fashioned looking place, with narrow streets and alleys everywhere.Everyone used to ride a bicycle; we even had rickshaws everywhere. Butnowadays, roads count three or four lanes on each side; everyone owns a car,and the government even ordered a subway to be built. Restaurants and shoppingcenters have mushroomed all over the city. I think that business is booming,and it’s only the beginning.

10. Whatchanges would you like to make in your hometown?I would definitelytry to improve the traffic situation in my hometown. Every day

traffic gets congested around rush hour. It drives peoplecrazy!I guess that the roads are not wide enough at some junctions, and thereare simply too many people and too many cars nowadays.You can get stuckin traffic on your way to work and easily lose 30 or 40 minutes.In addition,traffic jams cause severe pollution problems.Cars and buses emitexhaust fumes(=exhaust gas).It’s really gross disgusting).The governmentshould really encourage people to use public transport.

11.Whichplaces in your province would you suggest a tourist visit?

Now it is your turn toanswer