Going shopping & Selling things
B2 First · Speaking Long Turn · Cambridge Ready original exercise
Speak by yourself for about one minute, comparing your two photos. Afterwards, give a short answer to a question about the photos your partner described.
Talk about how the two photographs are similar and different, and tell us why the people might be shopping in these places.
You're going to start. These two photographs are yours, and they show people out shopping.
Going shopping
An older couple choosing vegetables at an outdoor market.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/88b394b69748c00d528fb4e4b8df290072343454758d10344a69841449af40e7.avif
candid documentary photograph, an older couple in their seventies choosing tomatoes and peppers at a colourful outdoor market stall, chatting with the stallholder, relaxed friendly mood, no price boards or labels, loose produce in wooden crates, no price cards or signs anywhere, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark
A young woman trying on a jacket in a large clothes shop.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/a7a3b4217efc825e75538d265735cdda6d7b116a08ee213d59cf9b86aca387ae.avif
candid documentary photograph, a young woman of Middle Eastern appearance trying on a denim jacket in front of a mirror in a large bright clothes shop, rails of clothes behind her, thoughtful mood, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark
Do you enjoy going shopping? (Why? / Why not?)
Why might the people be shopping in these places?
Compare them, please, and tell us what the people might enjoy about selling things in these situations.
Thank you. Now, here are two photographs for you. They show people selling things.
Selling things
A teenager selling old books and toys from a table in front of a house.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/e1cfa2aaf9d1e9810629c1d25cb62300dddc772a73b3ee10898b48327541397b.avif
candid documentary photograph, a teenage boy sitting behind a folding table in front of a suburban house, the table holding stuffed toys, a toy truck, a wooden puzzle and a stack of plain cloth-bound books seen from the side with blank spines, talking to a neighbour, sunny weekend mood, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark
A woman serving customers in her own small bakery.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/55dc234956e3dafa00c37d435ae6e20f18be1258699948d990d2882e2b75221a.avif
candid documentary photograph, a West African woman in her forties handing a bag of fresh bread to a customer across the counter of her small neighbourhood bakery, shelves of loaves behind her, warm proud mood, shelves holding only bread and wicker baskets, no boxes, no bottles, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark
Would you like to sell things you no longer use? (Why? / Why not?)
What might the people enjoy about selling things in these situations?
Now you're each going to have two photographs. You'll speak about yours alone for around a minute, and then I'll ask you something short about your partner's pictures.
Answer this Speaking task out loud and an AI examiner marks it on the official Cambridge Speaking criteria, with what you did well and what to fix next.
Practise this Speaking task free online: solo with exam timers and a self-recorder, as a live mock Speaking test with a partner over a video call, or as a full three-person mock exam — a real examiner reads the official examiner script to Candidates A and B. Rooms are invite-by-link; partners can join without an account.