Luyện theo cấu trúc Cambridge IELTS 21 · Speaking Part 1–3: Gardens and Green Spaces

1. Just a few. I've got a couple of small succulents on my desk and a herb pot on the kitchen windowsill. They're not much, but I find that having something green around makes the flat feel a lot more alive.

2. A little. My grandmother had a vegetable patch behind her house, and during the summer holidays I used to help her water it, although I suspect I was more of a nuisance than a help.

3. Not really, at least not in my part of the city. Most people live in apartments, so the best you can manage is a few pots on a balcony. People in the suburbs have more space, and some of them grow quite a lot.

4. Probably parks, because they're open to everyone and there's more going on, like people jogging or playing badminton. Gardens are more peaceful, though, so if I wanted to read or think, I'd choose a garden.

I'm going to describe a small park about five minutes' walk from my apartment block. It's squeezed between two busy roads, so you wouldn't really notice it if you were just driving past.

It isn't especially beautiful. There's a path that goes round the edge, a few old trees that give a lot of shade, some exercise machines and a small area in one corner where a group of residents have started growing vegetables in raised beds. It's quite worn in places, but it's always kept clean.

What's interesting is how it changes during the day. Early in the morning, it's full of older people doing exercises or walking in pairs. In the late afternoon, children arrive after school and play football on the open patch of grass, while their parents sit and chat. And at weekends, the gardening group meets to look after the vegetable beds, and they often hand out what they've grown to anyone who passes.

I think it matters to the community because it's one of the few places where people of different ages actually meet. Most of us live in apartments and hardly know our neighbours, but in the park people say hello and gradually get to know each other. Since the vegetable beds were started, I've noticed even more of that, because people stop to ask what's growing. So although it's a very ordinary place, it does a lot to make the neighbourhood feel friendlier.

1. There are environmental reasons, of course, like cooling the air and absorbing rainwater. But I think the social and mental health benefits are just as important. Green spaces give people somewhere to relax, exercise and meet others without having to spend money.

2. It's a difficult balance. Cities obviously need more affordable housing, and it would be hard to justify leaving land empty when people can't find homes. But I don't think it has to be one or the other; new housing developments could be required to include shared gardens or small parks.

3. Generally, yes. A couple of generations ago, many families grew at least some of their own food or bought it directly from farmers. Now most people buy everything packaged from supermarkets, so many children have never seen how vegetables actually grow. Community gardens are one way of reconnecting people with that.

4. Shared activities seem to work best, because people find it easier to talk when they're doing something together. Things like neighbourhood clean-ups, gardening groups or street festivals give people a reason to meet, and once they've met, they tend to stay in touch.

5. I think local authorities should take the main responsibility, because they have the budget and the equipment. That said, residents can play a useful role, for example by volunteering or reporting problems. In my experience, places that local people feel involved in are usually much better looked after.