During the Covid-19 pandemic, the world came to a standstill as strict lockdowns were enforced everywhere. With nowhere to go, time, weekdays, and routines became an abstract alien concept to the majority of us. To keep myself preoccupied and to prevent myself from wasting this precious time, I set a few goals.
My goals were as follows: getting up early, every single day consistently; continue a modified version of my workout even at home; and to learn a new skill.
The first two goals were easy enough to implement once I got used to. I made sure to keep my favourite song as an alarm tone. Rather than keeping my phone next to me while sleeping, I started keeping it in the kitchen which was all the way across the apartment. Once in the kitchen, I had a glass of water and began my day with a big smile.
I soon noticed that getting up became easier every day, my moods got a whole lot better, and I just felt generally more productive. I managed to do variations of indoor yoga six days a week, for I gave myself a pass on Sundays. That’s another thing I did, I made sure not to lose track of the weekdays, I treated every day like a work vacation; a day to get the most out of.
Now as for my last goal, it was to learn a new skill to keep me focused. The skill I chose to learn was animation. It was slow, time-consuming work; reading from the manuals and online free tutorials I could get my hands on. But lo and behold, two weeks later I finished my very first simple animation of a 90-frame loop of a walking bird. I was very proud of my creation.
The lockdown in my city lasted for months but I am proud to say that I achieved the goals I set for my self development. I even look forward to achieving them tomorrow, and every day that is to come in the future. The main thing I learned along this journey is realizing as an adult how much our choices reflect in our lifestyle. How little things change our day, how improvement actually feels, and how easy it is to take that first step into the unknown.
Useful words and their meanings
Lockdown
an emergency situation in which people are not allowed to freely enter, leave, or move around in a building or area because of danger
Standstill
a condition in which all movement or activity has stopped
lo and behold (a phrase)
something that you say when you tell someone about something surprising that happened
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In part 2 of the IELTS speaking test, a topic is given to the candidate. It is commonly called as a Cue Card. You are given a minute to make your notes about the given topic and plan what you are going to say. After the preparation time, you are expected to speak fluently on the given topic.
So, let’s practice a cue card.
Talk about learning English language
How long have you been learning English language?
Where did you learn?
What is the easiest or most difficult part of English?
Is English important in your profession?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Throughout my schooling, I studied in an English medium school. So, English was the second language I learnt at a young age. Practically, I can say that I have been familiar with English for now 18 years. During the primary years, I did not take English very seriously and grammar rules never bothered me. It was in class VIII that I understood the importance of learning grammar and vocabulary. Since then, I have been an avid reader and have made conscious attempts to improve my English language proficieny.
For me, the most difficult part of English was remembering the spellings of new words and using them in the right context. However, since I loved English, I overcame this problem by practising and writing regularly.
Now, I am a writer and I write travel blogs in English. So, English is a crucial part of my profession. For me, it is very important that my writing is clear, engaging and accurate. I’d like to conclude by saying that language acquistion is a gradual process which requires patience and continous efforts.
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IELTS CUE CARD : Describe a place where you like to spend time alone
You should say :
Where is that place?
Why do you like to go there?
What activities do you do there?
Sample Answer
I am an introverted person; therefore, most of my time is spent alone. It’s not that I hate people, but I guess I don’t get along with social gatherings and stuff, I believe this one of the reasons why I don’t have friends. My room is my dearest place to spend time doing my favourite things like reading, playing guitar, and sleeping.
Since I come from a huge family, it’s not always easy to maintain privacy, so to find a peaceful place, I have discovered a place that is nestled with lush green forests, and only a handful of people go there.It is a kind of place where time seems to stand still and the hectic outside world disappears. It’s a place of calm and seclusion where I can unwind, think, and just be among the simplicity and serenity of the natural world. This place has everything that a person who admires serenity and tranquillity needs.
Whenever I go there, I practice sketching and even play music. To my surprise, I made a friend there who shares the same taste in reading and music. Her name is Rachel, she belongs to Gujrat and had recently shifted here along with her family and cute little puppy Max. He is a bunch of happiness altogether, playing with him makes me forget my all worries. I love this place a lot and I always pray that it stays unrevealed to people otherwise it would be ruined.
Word
Meaning
Sentence
Handful of
A small number (of some body/something)
Only a handful of people came to the meeting.
serentity
State of being calm
I admire her serenity in the midst of so much chaos.
IELTS Speaking Cue card: a piece of furniture you have in your house
Describe a piece of furniture you have in your home.
You should say:
• What kind it is and what you use it for
• What materials it is made of
• How the piece of furniture was chosen for your home
• And explain how you feel about this piece of furniture.
Sample Answer
It is said that a home is the reflection of its inhabitants. In the quest of keeping it as beautiful and comfortable as possible, we all keep collecting showpieces, furniture and furnishings etc. Although, there are many things which are dear to me, I’d like to talk about my dining table which I purchased from Kashmir, a north Indian state known for its wood carving.
It is a four-seater rectangular dining table made of walnut wood. The entire table top is carved intricately by hand. The motifs are primarily composed of maple leaves which signify the maple trees of Kashmir. It is a masterpiece of brilliant craftsmanship as everything is painstakingly made by hand. What makes it unique is that not even an inch of the table surface is left without carving. The whole surface is polished in natural wood color after which it has been varnished to impart it a shine. We have covered it by a glass top which besides enhancing its beauty also protects it from dust. The table has four matching dining chairs which make it perfect for our family of four members.
I am extremely fond of this dining table as it reminds me of the lovely time we spent in the most splendid Kashmir valley. Also, it is a unique piece of furniture which is not commonly available everywhere.
(Download CUE Card)
Sample Answer Two by Pooja
My house is fully equipped with indoor and outdoor furniture. Today, I’m going to talk about my study table.
This table is in my bedroom. It’s a brand new piece of furniture and is probably very expensive. It’s a large table with two shelves to keep books. It has a separate drawer for keeping a laptop and small electronic devices. It even incorporates an inbuilt LED bulb for late night reading. I don’t exactly know what material it is made of but I think it’s made of oak.
I received it as a present from my parents on my last birthday. My mum is very selective. She must have visited many furniture showrooms before buying this modern, unique piece of furniture for my room.
I love the design of this table. It’s just perfect. It has transformed the appearance of my room. In fact, this table has made me more organized. Everyone who visits me appreciates the table for its brilliant quality. They even ask about the place from where it was bought. At this point of time, I can say that I’ll keep this table for my life. Even if I move to a new place, I’ll get it transported carefully.
