Describe a book that influenced you

Sample answer (estimated band 7.5)

The book I want to talk about is called The Last Orchard by Mira Solán, a novel I read in my final year at college. I found it in a secondhand bookstore during a stressful week of exams, and I picked it up mostly because the cover looked peaceful. The story follows a small neighbourhood that loses its food supply after a flood and how a handful of ordinary people save a neglected community orchard. What really stayed with me was the scene where a small group of neighbours pooled their meagre supplies to save the trees; it wasn’t dramatic, just quiet, practical kindness. That kind of everyday solidarity felt close to home and made me reconsider what I could do locally. After reading it I started going to a community garden I’d walked past for years. I ended up volunteering every weekend, helping plant fruit trees and teaching kids how to care for plants. On a deeper level, the book shifted my outlook about responsibility — it made me see how small acts can have a ripple effect on other people’s lives. I’d recommend it to anyone who thinks meaningful change requires grand gestures; sometimes it just takes one person deciding to show up.

Part 3 discussion questions

1. How important is reading for a child’s development in your country?
2. Do you think books can change people’s behaviour or beliefs?
3. What role do public libraries play in modern cities?
4. How has digital media affected the way people read books?
5. Should schools require students to read literature outside their curriculum?

Part 1 questions: Reading habits

1. Do you enjoy reading in your free time?
2. What kinds of books do you usually choose?
3. Do you prefer physical books or e-books?
4. How often do you buy new books?
5. Where do you like to read?