Speaking Part 1 · Cooking 5 題 Band 7+ 範答 + 烹飪詞庫

Q1. Do you like cooking?

I like the idea of it more than the reality, if I'm honest. On a slow Sunday with music on and nothing else to do, I genuinely enjoy prepping vegetables and taking my time. But on a Tuesday evening when I've had a long day, cooking feels like another chore, and I'll often grab something from the breakfast shop downstairs instead. So "liking" it is heavily mood-dependent.

Q2. Did you learn to cook when you were young?

A bit, though mostly through osmosis — my grandmother lived with us when I was small, and I'd sit on a stool watching her make braised pork belly or scallion pancakes from scratch. I never formally learnt, but I picked up enough to get by. The real cooking lessons came later, during university, when I either had to feed myself or eat convenience-store food every night.

Q3. Do you prefer home-cooked meals or eating out?

Home-cooked, in principle — they're almost always healthier, cheaper, and feel more wholesome. But Taipei makes eating out genuinely competitive: a decent bowl of beef noodle soup costs less than the ingredients I'd use making it, and tastes better than anything I'd produce. So in practice, I'm probably 60-40 towards eating out, though I wish it were the other way round.

Q4. What's your favourite dish to cook?

A simple stir-fry, honestly — mostly because it's fast, forgiving, and lets me use whatever's in the fridge before it goes off. I've got a go-to version with garlic, ginger, some greens and a protein of choice that I can knock up in 15 minutes. It's not going to impress anyone, but it's the meal I default to when I want something home-made without committing to an hour in the kitchen.

Q5. Do you think it's important for children to learn to cook?

I do, genuinely — probably more than schools give it credit for. Being able to feed yourself a reasonably balanced meal is one of those quiet life skills that adds up over a lifetime. It also gives kids a way to contribute to the household, which I think builds a different kind of confidence than academic achievement does. A ten-minute recipe taught at nine can last a lifetime.

Band 6: Yes, I like cooking. I can cook some dishes. I cook for my family sometimes.

Band 7+: I like the idea of it more than the reality, honestly. On a slow Sunday with music on, I genuinely enjoy taking my time to prep. But on a Tuesday after work, cooking feels like another chore, and I'll grab something from the breakfast shop instead. So "liking" it is heavily mood-dependent.