Where is your hometown?
I'm originally from Rajshahi, which is in the north-west of Bangladesh, right on the bank of the Padma River. I moved to Dhaka for university a couple of years ago, but I still go back whenever I get a long weekend, because it feels like home in a way Dhaka never quite does.
What is your hometown best known for?
Mangoes, above anything else. Every summer the whole region is full of them, and people send boxes to relatives all over the country. It's also famous for silk, especially saris, and a lot of people would mention how clean and green the city is compared with other parts of Bangladesh.
What do you like most about living there?
The pace of life, I think. Everything is much more relaxed than in Dhaka, and you can get across the whole city in twenty minutes. My favourite thing is walking along the riverbank in the evening, when families come out, the breeze picks up and someone's always selling roasted peanuts.
How has your hometown changed since you were a child?
Quite a lot. When I was small, the roads were narrow and rickshaws were pretty much the only way to get around, whereas now the main roads have been widened and battery-powered autos are everywhere. There are cafés and shopping centres too. It's more convenient, but some of the ponds and fields I used to play in have been built over.
Is your hometown a good place for young people? Why or why not?
In some ways, yes. It's safe and affordable, and there are several good universities, so it's a great place to study. The problem is jobs. Once people graduate, a lot of them end up moving to Dhaka because there simply aren't enough opportunities in the private sector, which is a real shame.
Would you like to live there in the future?
Yes, eventually, though probably not in the next few years. Right now my studies keep me in Dhaka, and that's where most of the jobs are, but once I'm more settled, I can picture myself working remotely from Rajshahi, close to my parents. Bringing up children there, away from the noise and pollution, also sounds far more appealing.
Sample answers written by Abroadway as models of natural, high-band speaking (not official IELTS samples).
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