IELTS Speaking for Success - 🏞 Quiet places (Part 3) + Transcript

Episode Date: April 1, 2026

Get access to our episode archive: https://www.patreon.com/ieltssfs Is it easy to find quiet places in your country? Why are there more noises made at home now than in the past? Why do old people prefer to live in quiet places? Do you think only old people have time for leisure? How does technology affect the way people spend their leisure time? Tune in and have a great day! - Book a class with Rory here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://successwithielts.com/rory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our course on Phrasal Verbs: https://successwithielts.com/podcourses Transcript: https://successwithielts.com/ Find an IELTS Speaking Partner: https://links.successwithielts.com/ieltspartner Our social media: https://linktr.ee/successwithielts © 2025 Podcourses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, hello, dear listener and welcome into IEL speaking part three. We are talking about quiet places and noise. Is it easy to find quiet places in your country? I think so. There are only 5 million people in the whole country, and we have a lot of open green space and forests for people to go to. Even in larger cities on nicer days, the countryside isn't that far off, which is pretty handy.

And of course, if you don't have access to transport, there are many, well, so many libraries and churches and the like, you wouldn't struggle to find a place like that to be quiet or to have some quiet time. Why are there more noises made at home now than in the past? Well, there are more people nowadays than more people in the home, so that might be why. I think I read somewhere that the materials for building them are lighter.

So if the walls are thinner, because the material is lighter, it's easy to see how that might, well, how the noise might ramp up, especially in the cities. And of course, there are more things in the homes to make noise, like phones going off or dogs and cats making a racket. Why do old people prefer to leave in quiet places? I imagine they get sick and tired. of all the ruckus and just want to get away from it all, which makes sense, I suppose.

If you spent decades in noisy surroundings working hard for a living, then you might feel entitled to a little peace and quiet yourself. Do you think only old people have time for leisure? Oh, absolutely not. There are loads of options out there for everybody. Obviously, if you're a pensioner or have retired, then it's easier to find the time and money to do what you want most of the time, but young people still have things like. weekends and various spaces to have fun. How does technology affect the way people spend their leisure time?

I think it gives them more options. The most obvious set would be things to do digitally or online, like with games consoles and computers. But you can also think about the ways that tech has allowed people with disabilities to access things they never could before. And it's allowed us to make new materials for things like hang gliders and bungee cords. So that's pretty cool. How do people spend their leisure time in your country?

That's a good question. I don't really know much about it. But I think it's similar to what people enjoy elsewhere. Things like reading, playing games, going online and interacting through social media. A lot of people still go and see their friends and family, though that's mostly at home these days because, well, going out is quite expensive. Okay, when I sell my business, I want the best tax and investment advice. I want to help my kids, and I want to give back to the community.

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To sign up for the archive, click the link in the description below. See you soon. So, quiet places. Rory lives in Scotland, so there are like about 5 million people in the whole country. That's how many people live in Maria's apartment. block? Yeah, pretty much. Maybe like two apartment blocks. So you see, you know, that's why Rory has a lot of open green spaces, forests, and a lot of quiet places. And in large cities or in larger cities, there are a lot of quiet places. A lot of countryside. So the countryside isn't that far.

It's not far away from the city. So it's pretty high. handy, it's convenient, you know. You can go to the country any time you want. I can't go to the country any time I want because it takes ages. It's easier to fly to a different country. Sometimes.

And there are many libraries, churches, oh yeah, a church is a quiet place. Well, hopefully. Yeah. You can talk about a church in speaking part two about a quiet place. Oh dear listen, you can say that no, I live in a large city, so it's noisy. There are lots of noises.

We have noise pollution. Plains are in the sky, you know, like there are many cars. So lots of noises from everywhere. These days, there are more noises which are made at home. Well, maybe the question's a bit loaded, isn't it? I mean, maybe it's not true. Yeah, but again, the examiner might just assume that, yeah, it is true and it's just why. Or maybe they will ask you, do you agree that now we have more noises which are made at home?

So which people make at home? Like more noises made at home than in the past. Well, you can agree, disagree. But here, like, why? What are the reasons? Because there are more people. More people equals more noise, probably. And this is the Rory's.

favorite answer, any question. Like, why are there more something? Because there are more people. Why is it, I don't know, this or that, there are more people? Why is there a lot more rubbish these days? Because there are more people. Why are there more people? Because there are more people.

Well, why are there more people? Do I need to draw you a diagram of why there are more people? Yes, exactly. Why are there more buildings? Because there are more people. You see, it just works fine with such questions. And more people are in houses. And they create more noise, right?

So, yeah, obviously. And also the materials for building houses are lighter. So the walls are thinner today. So topic specific vocabulary, your listener, write it down. Today, walls in the houses are thin. thinner. So a thin wall, like very, you know, like thin, small wall so you can hear anything and everything. So somebody goes to the toilet, you can hear it very well. Yeah, it's dreadful. Oh my God, can we, why are we talking about this? No, because walls are thinner today. There's

more noise. Yes, yes, yes. I think he just wanted to talk about the toilet. Mm-hmm. Dear Listen, if you want a toilet episode, please write to Rory on Instagram. We want a toilet episode. Yes, like different traditions, habits. I'm not going to give that air time. So, the walls are thinner and the materials for building are lighter. So the noise might ramp up. Increase.

Yeah. Although I should point out, do not use the word ramp up for your essays or your formal writing tasks. It's very much an informal word for increase. It's a phrasal verb, ramp up, increase the speed, power or cost of something. So ramp up pressure, Mitsubishi has ramped up the speed of their cars. Prices are going to ramp up. And the noise might ramp up, especially. in cities. And there are more things in the homes to make noise, like phones going off. Our phones go

off, smartphones. Dogs, bark, cats make a racket. When a cat makes a racket, it just goes all over the place. Yeah, to make a racket, to make like unpleasant, loud, continuous noise. So it's negative, de list. It's C2. Yeah. to make a racket. It's C2, Ben 9. Actually, I'm going to just collect C2 words now. From me?

Yeah, from you. Yeah, and we're going to have like a Rory's C2 words list. Right, dear listen. So, examples of noise, cats making a racket, dogs, bark, and all electronic appliances, dear listener.

We have fridges, microwaves, washing machines, so they also make a lot of noise. Older people usually prefer quiet places. So they get sick and tired. It's a binomial. We don't say tired and sick, we say sick and tired. Yeah.

To get sick and tired. Like, I'm sick and tired of this ireltz. No, no, we continue. Isles is our favorite. Roy, which word have you used about the noise? You didn't see the noise, but you said something else. Oh, all the raucous. Yes, what's that?

It's just another word for noise and loud things, like a riot. So we have to make a racket, to make unpleasant loud noise, and also we have now... Ruckus. Ruckus. Mainly US informal. Oh, that's why I don't use it. Roy, are you getting American? What's going on? You're Scottish.

No, I've always said this. We just haven't really talked about quiet and noise in a long time. So a noisy situation or argument, ruckus. Could you give us another sentence with this ruckus? Oh, okay. If you live with other people, you might get tired of all the ruckus because they're loud and... Because they're terrible people. No, because they're noisy and have different schedules. And Roy, could you give us a sentence with make a racket and a ruckus? Two words should be in one sentence. Well, you don't. You either have one or the other, don't you?

They would be like, I don't like it when people make a racket. Whenever there's a ruckus, I try and avoid it. There we go. So, older people usually want to get away from it all. So they want to get away from all the noise in large cities because they are sick and tired of the noise or of all the ruckers. They don't like noisy surroundings.

They want peace and quiet. They want a little peace and quiet. Or maybe they're just too sick. They're too ill to just be around all the noise. Other questions, the deal is not going to be about leisure time. Leisure, like our free time, how we spend our free time. How is it connected to quiet places? Well, because usually people rest in quiet places.

It would be very unusual to rest in a loud place. Yeah, but some people might take a rest in a noisy place. Where? Who? I don't know. Maybe like people go to clubs and that's pretty noisy and they kind of, you know. Oh, well, we are far too old for that. Yeah, yeah, we are all delistening. Yeah, we enjoy, you know, just sleep.

eat healthy food, you know, meditate, do yoga, so yeah, we're just sensible. We've done all the clubbing and tequila and margaritas. We really have, and now there is no cause for there to be anymore. Look at us inspiring the young people with our thoroughly boring lives. I stopped drinking alcohol because I don't want to, you know? Completely. Yeah, I don't want to. Oh, well, okay.

Seriously, just I don't like the taste. anymore. Just my body has changed. I don't like, just, I simply don't want to. I prefer tea. Water. Delicious fresh water. Oh, yeah, you see? Yeah, but deal isn't. Just, you know, give it time. Give it time and you too will be. Yeah, you'll be with us. Yeah, but Roy still drinks, so he's normal. No, I hardly ever drink at all these days. Okay, when was the last time you drink?

Well, new year, but that was too much. months ago. Oh, okay, New Year. I also had some alcohol for New Year. Yeah, that doesn't count. Yeah, it doesn't count, yeah. Older people or pensioners? Pensioners, not pensioners. C-1, actually. Oh, is it? Yeah, C-1. So, Band 8.5, there we go. Or the elderly. So people who don't work and the government pays them. people who have retired. So if a person is a pensioner or has retired, so my grandfather has retired, he is a pensioner. So older people have their weekends and all the time in the world.

But young people still have their weekends too, right, or their holiday periods. Yeah, everybody gets a weekend, kind of. You work and then you have one month. holiday. So here we use the word holiday as, you know, like a paid holiday, for example. We use different technology. For example, game consoles, computers, like Sony PlayStation is a game console. You can say technology or tech, like technology has allowed people to, I know, meet each other online. or tech has allowed people to see each other online, for example.

Yeah, and interact with people from different countries. Yeah, just technology gives us more options, more choices. And people with disabilities, for example, now have access to different things, like education, visiting different museums online. When you don't know what to say, you react, Naturally to a question? Oh, that's a good question. And then you just say, I don't know. I don't really know much about it. I really don't. Like, who looks into information on what people do in your country? But if you're supposed to see what people around you do? Like, do they go to bars, clubs or pubs?

I don't pay attention to other people. I mind my own business. Really? So you're just, okay. Wow. Yes. Like a normal person. All right. Okay. So we might assume that people in my country enjoy reading, playing games, going online, just browse through social media, browse through or interact through or just like look at social media. So they still go and see friends, families of the usual stuff. But going out is pretty expensive. So what about your country?

How do people spend their free time? sleeping, eating, going out, you know, drinking, dancing, reading, doing sports. You get a kind of like classical things, right? Nothing special. Stay well, healthy and happy. Okay, we'll get back to you in our next episode. All right? Bye. Bye. Is it easy to find quiet places in your country? I think so. There are only five million people. in the whole country and we have a lot of open green space and forests for people to go to even in larger cities on nicer days the countryside isn't that far off which is pretty handy

and of course if you don't have access to transport there are many well so many libraries and churches and the like you wouldn't struggle to find a place like that to be quiet or to have some quiet time why are there more noises made at home now than in the past. Well, there are more people nowadays than more people in the homes, so that might be why. I think I read somewhere that the materials

for building them are lighter. So if the walls are thinner, because the material is lighter, it's easy to see how that might, well, how the noise might ramp up, especially in the cities. And of course, there are more things in the homes

to make noise, like phones going off or dogs and cats making a racket. Why do old people prefer to live in quiet places? I imagine they get sick and tired of all the ruckus and just want to get away from it all, which makes sense, I suppose. If you spent decades in noisy surroundings working hard for a living, then you might feel entitled to a little peace and quiet yourself.

Do you think only old people have time for leisure? Oh, absolutely not. There are loads of options out there for everybody. Obviously, if you're a pensioner or have a pensioner, or have retired, then it's easier to find the time and money to do what you want most of the time, but young people still have things like weekends and various spaces to have fun. How does technology affect the way people spend their leisure time? I think it gives them more options.

The most obvious set would be things to do digitally or online, like with games, consoles and computers. But you can also think about the ways that tech has allowed people with disabilities, access things they never could before. And it's allowed us to make new materials for things like hang gliders and bungee cords. So that's pretty cool. How do people spend their leisure time in your country? That's a good question. I don't really know much about it. But I think it's similar to what people enjoy elsewhere. Things like reading, playing games, going online and interacting through social media. A lot of people still go and see their friends and family,

though that's mostly at home these days because, well, going out is quite expensive.