In today’s world internet has made it easier for people to try different cuisines of the world. I have a passion for cooking and in fact internet has also helped me to learn about different recipes from around the globe. Cooking is my favourite leisure activity and I do it whenever I feel down as it helps me boost, my creativity as well as helps me satiate my cravings. Today I would like to discuss about one interesting Dish that I really like. The dish is Som Tam. It is a Thai cuisine salad. I first ate it an Asian restaurant in my city “Kylin”. I really loved the flavour of this salad so last Sunday, I also tried making it at home. I was really surprised that it turned out to be as authentic and tasty as I experienced it in the restaurant. It is super healthy as it is made of raw papaya and that is the only made ingredient which is used. Because of one ingredient it gets effortlessly easy to prepare. I just added some crushed chilies, garlic and peanuts. The dressing is really easy to prepare as one has to just add few sauces and the mouthwatering flavour is ready. Everyone in my house like it and praised my cooking skills. Now I make it almost every other day and have it during snack time. It has helped me to do healthy snacking. Moreover, it’s really beneficial for our gut health. Som Tam has proved to be particularly healthy for me as it is good for women’s health, specially in curing PCOD/ PCOS. Therefore, I suggest it to every woman around me who is suffering from any such disorders.
FOLLOW UP Questions:
Q1: Should advertisements for unhealthy food be banned? Why or why not?
Answer: Definitely, advertisements for unhealthy food must be banned as they are harming the masses on a large scale. People today are inclined towards consuming such unhealthy foods because they are advertised widely with the false narrative.
Q2: Do you think films and TV-series should promote healthy eating?
Answer: Nowadays youth is influenced by celebrities and they in fact follow them religiously. People try to imitate their favourite celebrities’ lifestyle as well as their food habits so that they can look as beautiful and flawless like the celebrities. TV series and films are the best way of promoting healthy habits.
Describe an app you use in your mobile phone. (Describe a mobile application that you use.) You should say:
what it is?
how you use it?
what benefits do you get from it?
and explain why this mobile app is important to you.
Sample Answer1:
My smart phone has many pre-installed applications in it and some that I installed and I love using them all. However, if I had to choose one, I will definitely go for WhatsApp. I think it is one of the best applications made in the history of mankind making it so easy for us to be in touch with people we care about and then it doesn’t matter where we are in the world. It is affordable, user-friendly and easily accessible. We can not only talk, send text messages, but we can share videos, audios and photos with anyone. What an amazing thing to do!
One is free to do whatever they want to. We can form groups and be connected with so many people together, it is almost like talking to so many people together and having fun. Not only for friends and family, I have even found WhatsApp very important for my workplace. It is a one step solution for sharing documents, discussions and follow-ups with clients. The best part is that we do not have to worry about the hefty bills and roaming charges.
The reason this application is very important for me is because I have a job which requires me to travel a lot and then I have got family and friends back home. It is with WhatsApp that I am able to share my whereabouts with my loved ones and the amazing life that I have.
Sample Answer2:
There are several applications that I have downloaded on my smartphone but I think the one application that is very important for me and I cannot barely live without is definitely YouTube. The best part about the application is that I can put the videos that I like in offline mode and watch them anytime I want to and even more, the videos don’t take up my phone’s memory but are stored in some server making space for more things that I can do on my phone.
I have made my account on Google using which I use the YouTube application. This application was pre-installed in my smartphone and I remember watching a lot of videos on it, before doing a video offline. It has been almost more than four years since I have been using this application whenever I need to find out something. It could be a lecture on a course that I am taking or may be a song that I want to listen. Also, almost all movies upload their trailers on this site, which can be accessed using this application. It is more like that friend you need when there is no one around.
I remember learning DBMS, a course important for my job taking from this application and doing a great job. The reason this app is so important for me is because using it I can learn so much and be updated about the social life and then get updated about the latest news or songs or everything that is happening in this world. It is so easy and yet so powerful.
Sample Answer3:
I believe we are living in the world of applications, I mean there are so many apps out there and so much that can be done. But, the one app that is very important for me is blogger. Being a blogger it is more like God for me. There used to be times when I wanted to write down things and those were the times which were haphazard and I just didn’t knew where to write. Because writing it on phone memo, meant when I am actually putting it down, I need to re type it again which took away the creativity of it.
But, with blogger it is so much more easy. I can just write down memos into it, make some drafts and then put them into proper format when I feel like or when I go down to typing in the laptop. Even better I can very easily edit any of my own posts and get to know the people visiting the blog. And for doing all of it, neither do I require any laptop nor any specific requirements. A simple smart phone and that is it.
The reason it is important for me is because, no matter the final blog I put out is from my laptop but the drafts, I make them mostly using this application. Also, it is so much more easier to do things, be creative and enjoy writing just at my fingertips.
Describe a skill that you learned from older people You should say:
What the skill is ?
Who did you learn it from ?
How did you learn it ?
And, how do you feel about it ?
Sample Answer
I think older people are well-versed in a lot of things that youngsters can learn. Today, I would like to talk about a skillthat I learned from my grandfather.
I was never into cooking before, until the day when I went to my grandparents’ house to spend my summer vacations. I can still recall, it was a dull afternoon and I was just sleeping on a couch and suddenly my grandfather called me out in the kitchen and asked me for some help there. The beautiful aroma of the food was mouth-watering, and I asked him out of excitement if he could teach me what he was cooking. He instantly said yes. He showed me the ingredients and spices used. Out of the long list that he mentioned, I vividly remember boiled chicpeas, fresh vegetables, clove, cardamom and turmeric powder etc. I helped him in chopping vegetables and garnishing the dish. It was full of fun.
Ever since then, I developed a keen interest in cooking, and, not only do I do it for myself but also love to serve others on special occasions with the handmade delicacies that I got to learn from him. I really feel that it was a jubilant experience for me to be able to not only learn this vital skill, but also I was able to spend some good quality time with him. This skill really made me feel happy, and I will always be grateful to my grandfather for teaching me and helping me develop a new interest.
Speaking -Part 3 (Follow up questions)
Here are some examples of follow up questions that examiner may ask during your speaking (part 3) related to cue card ‘Describe a skill that you learned from older people’.
Q1. What can children learn from their parents?
I believe in the old saying – Learning begins at home. Right from how to behave with others, be polite and respectful, value education and learning, staying fit and healthy, to dealing with difficult life situations, children can learn valuable life lessons from their parents.
Q2. What skills can young people learn from older people ?
There are innumerable skills, that young person can gain with the help of older people, such as cooking, gardening, communication, storytelling, and many more. Older people have greater experience of life and thus, under their guidance, youngsters can definitely learn a lot of things that can make life more meaningful.
IELTS CUE CARD – Describe a favourite toy of yours in childhood
Describe a favourite toy of yours in childhood.
What was the toy?
Who gave it to you?
How often did you play with it?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Toys play an integral role in the formative years of all children. They help in the development of the brain and also enhance the motor skills. I loved playing with toys when I was a child. In fact, I had a room full of toys where I spent most of my time after returning from school.
One of my favourite toys was a Barbie Doll. It was gifted to me by my parents on my 6th birthday. I vividly remember, it was packed in a beautiful pink box when my parents gave it to me. The box had ‘Birthday Pink Barbie” written on top of it. When I opened the box I saw a very pretty Barbie Doll wearing a pink gown, matching shoes and few additional dresses with a comb and makeup kit. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it.
Since that time the Barbie became my constant companion. I’d play with it every day after returning from school. I loved to change its dress and comb its hair. I treated the doll as my best friend and used to have conversations with it and share my daily school activities with my doll. In fact, during holidays I’d pretend to be a teacher and teach the doll as a student for hours together. Imitating the dialogues of my school teacher was full of fun. Taking the doll to bed and narrating bedtime stories was a daily routine.
This doll remained my favourite toy for several years. It is still with me as a memorabilia.
STRONG WORDS
WORDS
MEANING
Constant companion (collocation)
a person, animal or thing that has been with someone most of the time
Memorabilia
objects kept or collected because of their associations with memorable people or events
Another Similar Cue Card
Describe a toy you liked in your childhood.
How old were you and when did you get this toy?
Who gave you the toy?
What was the toy exactly and how did you play with it?
And how were you feeling at that time?
(Download CUE Card)
SAMPLE ANSWER TWO-
Gifting toys to children is one of the common mores in society. Toys consist of the most playable items for children. Children just love to upkeep a complete shelf or drawer full of toys of different kinds. They generally receive these toys on special occasions although feature toys are given otherwise also, on a child’s insistence. When I turned 6 on my birthday, I received many gifts on that day from family and friends. Later that day, I silently creeped into my room to calm my curiosity about new gifts. I started unpacking every item, when eyes stood fixed on a toy, half wrapped in the shine.
I, at once, jumped to the living room and with a broad glee on my face, questioned in a loud shout, that who has brought my favourite gift to me. To this, my mother smiled back and informed me that it was my father who knew my likes very well and brought this specially for my day. I looked at my father and recited a hymning thank you.
Well, it was a remote controlled car. It used to be a sensation for children in those times, when imports from china was very timid and remote car was considered as an electronic toys masterpiece. My friend already had one such car at his home, so, whenever I used to visit his place, I had some occasional trips with that high speed and advanced controls. But, I always lingered on my desire to have one of my own and drive whenever, wherever I want. Once, I even asked my father to bring one remote car for me.
That was few months back. I was happy that my father remembered it on my birthday. I was feeling the freedom of fiddling with my own car. Also, since I knew the controls already, I was now experimenting with different terrains and exhibiting some amusing stunts. I was feeling very exalted back then.
STRONG WORDS
Word
Meaning
Exalted
feeling very happy, joyous: After seeing my IELTS score, I felt exalted.
Follow-up Questions
Q. 1 In your childhood, did you receive more gifts from your family or friends?
Sample answer: Well, friends and family both, I suppose used to gift me on my birthdays. But, family used to gift me otherwise also. Sometimes, when I used to be on scooter ride with my father, I used to see several enticements in the market area. It was then, when my father had to buy me a toy on my repeated insistence.
Q. 2 When did you stop receiving toys as gifts?
Sample answer: I suppose, it was my 11th birthday, when for the first time I could see no toys in the wrappers. Rather, I had some stationery items and a few English novels.
Q. 3 How did you feel when you received no toys on your birthday?
Sample answer: By the time I was 10, I could visibly see the cutback in my toys collections and moreover, I started indulging in different activities like outdoor games, bicycle rides and so on, which obviously took me a little away from my toys. Therefore, although I kept on searching for a toy till my last unwrapment on my birthday, but I didn’t really feel disappointed in any sense.
Q. 4 Why do you think children like toys so much?
Sample answer: I think the most primitive and aboriginal instinct in a human being is TO KNOW. Curiosity to explore and create something new has always been the driving force behind our evolution. Therefore, a child who has not yet gained exposure to society and its creations at large, feel captivating interest in the novel features of toys. They feel the toy so animated that they love to play with it.
Sample Answer 