Describe a time when someone praised you for your actions.
When did it happen?
What did you do?
Who praised you?
How did you feel about it?
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Sample Answer
There are many occasions in everyone’s lives when they did something to help others. These acts of generosity are sometimes praised and sometimes go unnoticed. if someone appreciates me for such a thing, I take it as a positive sign and try to do more. I would like to talk about an incident happened with me when I was in the sixth standard.
My best friend at that time was my classmate and belonged to a poor family. He didn’t have his school books as his family couldn’t afford them. He found it very difficult to cope up with the course due to this issue. I thought about helping him somehow and came up with many ideas. With my father’s permission, I decided to ask my seniors for all their used books for the sixth class. I was overwhelmed with their response as many of them came forward with their books to help me and my friend out. I then went to the principal of the school and asked her for a small place in the library with a few empty cabinets. I proceeded to make posters announcing the children to bring their used books from the past years and donate them for the children who could not afford them.
This initiative of mine was praised a lot by my whole school and every teacher patted my back for this noble deed. It was an exhilarating moment when my class teacher came up to the stage the next day and appreciated me with motivating words that moved me and urged me to do more for the people around me.
(269 words)
Part 3 Follow Up Questions.
Q.1 How does appreciation help us perform better?
When someone appreciates us, it makes us feel good. It feels as if all our hard work has been acknowledged and that our efforts were not in vain. Although we should not be overly dependent on other people’s views of us, we tend to repeat the behavior for which people praise us.
Q.2 What happens when we are not appreciated for our work?
This is one of the main problems we face in our lives. Sometimes we work very hard towards achieving something, and when we are not appreciated for our work we despair. We lose hope and stop having the will to work hard next time. This is a wrong attitude towards life. We should welcome people’s suggestions and feedback. However, as I mentioned earlier, we should not be overly dependent on it. We should believe in ourselves and do what is right, irrespective of what people think about us.
Q.3 What are the different ways in which our work can be appreciated?
There are a lot of ways in which we can be appreciated. When we are younger, our parents appreciate our hard work at school by buying us toys. Our family and friends praise us and encourage us with their kind words for doing something good. Our colleagues encourage us by respecting us and looking up to us. We are often perceived as leaders. Our employers may not only reward us financially, and also compensate us through bonuses and promotions.
Describe a book that had a major influence on you.
You should say:
what the book was
how you first heard of the book
what is the main story of the book
and why it plays such an important role in your life.
Sample Answer:
Reading has been a very integral part of my life. I try to read books as and when I can find time and my interests vary vividly, from philosophy to fantasy, horror to religions, non-fiction to autobiography. The book that has changed my perspectives and helped me become a better person is Autobiography of a Yogi written by the celebrated philosopher guru Paramahansa Yogananda.
I found that most of the religious societies and philosophers highly recommend it due to the values it helps inculcate in the young minds. Fans have recommended this book all over the internet.‘ Some people even commented that this is the best book ever written in the century. I decided in my head that this should be on number 1 of my reading list. I ordered the book immediately from amazon and it was delivered to me in a week. I started reading it the same day.
The book was first published in 1946 in New York, USA and archived in the philosophers library. The book was an international success and reached No. 1 position on the New York Times best-selling book list. Autobiography of a Yogi talks about the life of Paramahansa Yogananda and his numerous encounters with spiritual figures of both the East and West. The book begins with his childhood, to finding his guru, to becoming a rebellious monk and establishing his teachings of Kriya Yoga meditation. The book further talks about 1920 when Yogananda accepts an invitation to speak in a religious congress in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He then travels across America lecturing and establishing his teachings in Los Angeles, California. In 1935 he revisits India for a year. When he returns to America, he continues to establish his teachings, including writing this book. The book is an enchanting source for understanding the methods of attaining God-realization .The author also announces that the writing of the book was prophesied long ago by the nineteenth-century master Lahiri Mahasaya.
The story telling of author is magical and brief. With Every passing page the urge to read more increased which further tempted me gather more knowledge about the same man. Not for a single moment, I could have stopped thinking about the events and characters of the books and that had a breath-taking influence on me. The characters have their own charismatic powers and followed their own paths and that was such a huge inspiration.
The story was told like a good story teller should and I thought it was a wonderful read. It surely left a powerful lasting impression on me. (427 words)
Part 3 Follow Up Questions.
Q1. Why do you think reading books is important?
I think reading books is the cheapest and simplest way of acquiring knowledge. It is one of the best forms of entertainment and books help build our personality. A lot of research has shown that people who are in the habit of reading books tend to be more successful in life. In my opinion, it is one of those habits which every person should try to inculcate in them.
Q.2 What kinds of books are popular in your country?
People read all kinds of books in my country. Since my country is very religious, spiritual books are most common here. It also depends on the age of the readers. Young people have significantly different tastes when it comes to books compared to older people. Many children of my generation used to read comic books when we were in school. However, I don’t see many children doing it these days. They are busy on their mobile phones chatting with friends. It is sad that students, nowadays, are under a lot of pressure to perform in exams, and never get the time to read for pleasure, thus losing the idea of reading for fun.
Q.3 How is rapidly growing technology affecting our reading habits?
This is another of my pet peeves. People are so immersed in their gadgets and devices that they have forgotten the art of reading. A book, a cup of coffee, a comfortable chair- this used to be the idea of happiness for many people. Good authors were celebrated and felicitated by the readers. But now with the internet and social media, people have lost the pleasure that reading brings, and are more into things which probably are not good for their mental and physical health over the long run. No wonder mental problems are going through the roof in today’s society.
Pet peeve: something that a particular person finds especially annoying.
