B1IELTS-style · Band 4.5–5.0Speaking25 min

IELTS Speaking: Online Safety & Passwords

Online safety and passwords

Add to my libraryFree for teachers. You sign in only when you add the lesson.

Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

Target: 5.0-5.5 ⏱️ 25 minutes • 2 Modules

Unit: Online Safety and Passwords

Welcome to Module 1! In this quick warm-up, you will review essential safety words, practice useful phrase pairs, and learn four natural sentence patterns.

📋 How to use this lesson

For Teachers

Run this 25-minute lesson in class or assign it as self-study before speaking practice. Check answers with the automated keys and make sure learners repeat the sentence patterns aloud.

For Learners

First, complete the word checks, collocation matrix, and fun fact guesses below. Next, read the sentence examples carefully and prepare to speak your own answers in Module 2.

Part 1: Quick Word Check

Choose the best word to finish each sentence. Our unit words are: hacker, scam, spam, attachment, passcode, username, update, suspicious, secure, careless.

1

You need to type a four-digit _____ before you can open your smartphone screen.

____ a. attachment ____ b. username ____ c. passcode ____ d. hacker

2

If an email asks for your bank password urgently, it looks very _____ and you should delete it.

____ a. secure ____ b. suspicious ____ c. careless ____ d. update

3

Leaving your laptop open and unlocked in a busy café is very _____.

____ a. secure ____ b. spam ____ c. hacker ____ d. careless

4

A fake online lottery asking for your money before you get a prize is a classic _____.

____ a. scam ____ b. update ____ c. username ____ d. attachment

5

A skilled computer user who breaks into accounts without permission is called a _____.

____ a. spam ____ b. passcode ____ c. hacker ____ d. username

🔗 Part 2: Collocation Match

Match each of the 6 common word pairs on the left to its meaning (A–F). Each row has one correct match, and none of the definitions repeat words from the pair.

Meaning Options:

A. make a tough secret code

B. press web addresses in messages

C. get tricked by dishonest people

D. switch numbers that unlock screens

E. look at extra files from messages

F. add fresh digital patches to fix weak spots

Word Pair

F

E

B

A

C

D

1. create a strong password

____ F ____ E ____ B ____ A ____ C ____ D

2. click on a link

____ F ____ E ____ B ____ A ____ C ____ D

3. fall for a scam

____ F ____ E ____ B ____ A ____ C ____ D

4. change your passcode

____ F ____ E ____ B ____ A ____ C ____ D

5. open an attachment

____ F ____ E ____ B ____ A ____ C ____ D

6. install security updates

____ F ____ E ____ B ____ A ____ C ____ D

Part 3: 4 Useful Sentence Patterns

These four sentence shapes make your speaking sound clear and natural in IELTS Speaking. Practice saying them out loud!

Pattern 1 afraid of + doing

"My sister is afraid of losing her phone."

Why this works: Use this to express a normal fear or worry without using complicated language.

Pattern 2 worried about + doing

"I am worried about getting a fake email from my bank."

Why this works: A direct, natural way to describe concerns about online dangers.

Pattern 3 stay safe by + doing

"I stay safe by locking my tablet when I leave the room."

Why this works: Explains your personal habit and your safety solution in one smooth sentence.

Pattern 4 Whenever I see..., I...

"Whenever I see a weird website address, I close my browser right away."

Why this works: Shows how you react to suspicious situations on your devices.

Part 4: Fun Facts – Guess the Number!

Guess the number first, submit your choice, and then read the official fact from real security research.

💡

Fun Fact 1: How many words make a strong password?

How many random words does the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advise people to combine to make a memorable, strong password?

____ 2 words ____ 3 words ____ 5 words

Source Note: National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC, 2021).

🔓

Fun Fact 2: The most common leaked password

In an analysis of breached accounts worldwide, how many accounts were found to be using "123456" as their password?

____ 2.3 million ____ 23.2 million ____ 232 million

Source Note: NCSC analysis of breached data collections (NCSC, 2019).

Module 2

Speaking Practice: Part 1 and Part 2

Now it is your turn to speak freely, record your voice, and check the model answers after you finish.

💬 IELTS Speaking Part 1

Answer each question with 2 to 3 natural sentences. Record your response first, then open the box to see a spoken model answer.

1

Question 1

Roughly how many online accounts do you have?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

👀 View Model Answer & Useful Phrases Click to expand

"Well, to be honest, I'm not really sure, but I'd say I have around ten accounts. Mostly social media and email. It's easy to lose count, so I try to use the same username."

Why this works:

• to be honest: used to say what you truly know or think.

• I'd say: a natural spoken phrase to give an estimate.

• It's easy to lose count: means having so many that you forget the exact number.

2

Question 2

Have you ever received a message that looked strange or false?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

👀 View Model Answer & Useful Phrases Click to expand

"Yes, quite a few times. Just last week, I got a text saying I won a prize, but something felt off right away. I didn't trust it, so I just deleted the message immediately."

Why this works:

• quite a few times: means several times or often.

• something felt off: means something seemed strange or wrong.

• I didn't trust it: means I did not think it was real.

3

Question 3

Do you share your phone passcode with anyone in your family?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

👀 View Model Answer & Useful Phrases Click to expand

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I share it with my mother. She only uses my phone to take a quick look at family photos. Still, I make sure she knows not to open any banking apps."

Why this works:

• as a matter of fact: used to share a real truth or detail.

• take a quick look: to view something briefly.

• I make sure: to take care that something is done safely.

4

Question 4

Who taught you how to stay safe online?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

👀 View Model Answer & Useful Phrases Click to expand

"Well, to tell you the truth, nobody really sat down to teach me. I learned the hard way after clicking a bad link years ago, but recently my older brother helped me a lot with passwords."

Why this works:

• to tell you the truth: spoken phrase used to admit a real fact.

• I learned the hard way: learned by making an unpleasant mistake.

• helped me a lot: a simple way to say someone gave useful help.

🎙️ IELTS Speaking Part 2

⏱️ 1 minute preparation • 60–90 seconds speaking

Take one minute to think about the points on the card, then record your complete talk for 60 to 90 seconds.

Candidate Task Card

Describe a time when you or someone you know had a problem online, or noticed something strange on a phone or a computer.

You should say:

what happened
how you noticed it
what you did next
and explain how you felt about it.

[Bài tập luyện nói]

👀 View Model Answer & Useful Phrases Click to expand

Well, I'd like to talk about a time when something strange happened on my old laptop. It happened a few months ago while I was doing some homework in my bedroom.

Suddenly, my web browser started opening random tabs all by itself. After that, a loud warning popped up on my screen, saying my files were locked. At first, it caught me off guard, and my heart started racing because I thought I broke my computer.

Then I took a deep breath and decided to unplug the internet cable right away. After that, I restarted the laptop and ran a simple scan to remove the strange files.

Looking back, it was quite a scare, but I was really relieved. I didn't lose any photos or school projects.

Why this works:

• it caught me off guard: surprised me when I was not prepared.

• right away: immediately without waiting.

• it was quite a scare: a frightening or stressful personal moment.

Add to my library

Related lessons

Grammar: Online Safety and Passwords

Online safety and passwords

Grammar · 12 min

Reading: Password Security Advice

Online safety and passwords

Reading · 15 min

Online Safety and Passwords

Online safety and passwords

Vocabulary · 20 min

B1IELTS-style · Band 4.5–5.0

IELTS Writing Task 1: Online Account Process

Online safety and passwords

Writing · 35 min

Class activity: Trip Story Cards (Travel & Holidays)

Travel and holidays

Speaking · 25 min

Class activity: Study Dilemma Cards

Studying and learning languages

Speaking · 20 min