Category: Cue Card

Describe a time when you learned something new.
You should say:
• What you learned
• How you learned (include if someone helped you or not)
• Why you learned it
• Explain how you felt about learning this new skill or piece of knowledge

Sample Answer:
Learning new things is good for our overall development. The only way we can make sure that our knowledge doesn’t become stagnant is by continuous learning. I would like to take this opportunity to talk about my recent experience where I learned about space. This happened a few months ago when I visited the Nehru Planetarium in Mumbai. Actually, I’ve always been curious about the sky and stars, but I never really got the chance to learn about them properly. One day, a spontaneous plan with my friends led me to the planetarium, mainly because I heard that it has a really good show about the stars. After reaching the venue, we paid for the show as soon as we entered. I was amazed by the dome-shaped screen. We sat down, and then the show started. Because of the dome-shaped screen, it all felt like it was actually happening. I felt like I was travelling in space and watching stars. There was a narrator who explained every intricate detail with such clarity that all my doubts faded away. I also learned some interesting facts, like how the light from the stars sometimes takes a millennium to reach us. I found quite intriguing.
Apart from the show, there was many models and displays outside the screening area which explained different celestial phenomena beautifully.
Honestly speaking, I felt really happy and inspired after this visit. It made me realise how minute we are compared to the vast universe.
To sum up, I learnt a lot of things that day, and if I ever get a chance to revisit that place, I’d definitely take it.

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Speaking – Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a story someone told you and you remember.

• Who told you this story?
• What the story was about?
• How you feel about it?

Sample Answer

We get valuable life lessons from stories, including how to deal with rejection and fear. Most of the stories were probably stories with moral lessons. I grew up listening to numerous stories from my parents and grandparents. Perhaps it is one of the clearest and cherished memories of my childhood.

Every night, before tucking me into bed, my grandmother would read me a story. I must say that she was an extremely beautiful raconteur.

Once upon a time, there was a king. He was very rich and had lots of gold. He had a daughter, who he loved a lot. One day he helped an angel, who in return agreed to grant him a wish. The king wished for the power to turn things into gold; an angel immediately fulfilled his wish. On his way home, he touched rocks and plants which changed into gold. The king was in seventh heaven. As he reached home, in excitement he hugged his daughter, who turned into gold. The king was devastated seeing his beloved daughter, who has now turned into a golden stone.

His greed became a reason for his agony. The king learnt his lesson and realised his mistake, and that was the moral of the story. I reckon greed has become a common social evil that persuades people to make wrong decisions. I was really impressed by the morale and did implement it in my life.

Speaking – Part 3 (Follow-up questions)
Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner may ask during your speaking (part 3) related to the cue card ‘describe a story someone told you and you remember’.

Q1. Has storytelling changed over a period of time?
Indeed, earlier stories were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. However, at present, the rise of technology and commencement of mobile phones have drastically changed the way of listening to and narrating a story. For instance, there are many apps which provide audiobooks and podcasts, where you can listen to your favourite books without the actual presence of a person.

Q2. Do you think that generally most of the people are good at storytelling?
Well, I suppose everyone is a storyteller, but not everyone is a good storyteller. Good storytellers can connect to the listener at ease and are able to maintain their interest. However, poor storytellers often mix up the events, which makes the story become confusing, and the listener may lose interest.

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IELTS BAND 7

8439000086

8439000087

7055710004

IELTS BAND 7 Dehradun: Best Coaching in Dehradun
323 GMS Road, Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

The officially registered trademark ‘BAND7’ (Trademark No. 4717489) is allocated to Anuj Kumar.

Describe a skill you taught yourself without any format help.

You should say:

• What the skill was/is
• How you learned it
• Why you learned it and what challenges you faced along the way
• And explain how this skill has been useful to you.

Answer:

In modern times, there are many ways of acquiring a new skill if we’re keen enough. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about a skill that I acquired completely by myself.

I learnt basic video editing. It all started when I wanted to make a travel vlog of a family trip that we went on. But I had no idea how to combine video clips, add music or trim a footage properly.

So, I decided to learn it on my own using the free resources that are available on the Internet. I spent hours watching tutorials, reading articles on video editing, and more. Finally, I downloaded a beginner-friendly editing software. I started experimenting with the editing software myself, and before I knew it, I was able to edit videos on my own.

The biggest challenge, I would say, was the amount of trial and error involved in the learning process. I believe that we become worst before we become better, and that’s what I experienced. For instance, if I was trying get an audio to sync properly with the video, I’d miss to trim the footage first. I also struggled with understanding the technical terms such as ‘keyframes’ and ‘transition’, which required a lot of googling and rewatching tutorials.

Eventually, the hard work paid off. I began to understand the logic behind the steps instead of copying them blindly, and my video edits started looking noticeably more professional.

So, all in all, this skill has turned out to be pretty useful in my day-to-day life, and I’m really proud of myself for learning this without any professional help.

(319 words)

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IELTS BAND 7

8439000086

8439000087

7055710004

IELTS BAND 7 Dehradun: Best Coaching in Dehradun
323 GMS Road, Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

The officially registered trademark ‘BAND7’ (Trademark No. 4717489) is allocated to Anuj Kumar.