I am an avid traveler and have visited many cities across India and other countries for work and leisure purposes. My favorite city out of the ones that I have visited is Sydney. A major city in Australia, it is the state capital of New South Wales. It is situated on the southeastern coast of Australia near the Tasman Sea and is home to around 4.6 million people. I traveled to this city in 2013 after my high school for a vacation.
This city has many attractions and there are many reasons for my fondness. A veritable collection of beaches, natural areas, botanic gardens, parks, and high rising buildings add to its beauty. This city has many heritage buildings and landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, Harbor Bridge, and the observatory.
It is known for the dynamic cultural hub and houses many famous museums and art galleries with great architecture. The weather is pleasant all round the year, and the views are beautiful.
The best part is the city planning and public services. I found the transportation services to be affordable and highly effective. The city is very well planned and it is very easy to commute or reach different places. People there are friendly and welcoming, and help the tourists with many things.
The city is lively and vibrant and offers a lot of other things to do apart from sightseeing. In my limited time there, I tried to visit as many places as possible, and soaked in the beauty of the marvelous places that I went to. I would visit this city again whenever I get an opportunity.
Describe a time when you received money as a gift.
When did you receive it?
What did you do with it?
How did you feel about it?
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Sample Answer
A gift always brings a smile on our face, whenever we receive it. Moreover, it shows our importance in other’s life. Different types of gifts are given on different occasions, as a token of blessings and love. I have also received many gifts so far on various occasions. On my last birthday, I received money as a gift from my elder brother.
Since he was confused about my preference for a gift, he decided to give me some money as a gift so that I could buy anything as per my choice. He made my birthday special when he had given me an envelope containing some cash. There was an exact amount of cash inside which I required to purchase an Apple Watch. I felt so overwhelmed that tears started rolling down my eyes. Next day, I and my brother went to the market and bought a white Apple Watch for me. Out of the excitement, I clicked a picture of that watch and posted on my social site to share my happiness with my friends and relatives.
I was really grateful to my brother for the gesture of love and care he had shown me. I really love him for his unconditional love and support. He understands my needs even if I do not tell him. That gift was indeed special for me but the person who gave me that gift is the most special one.
Another Similar Cue Card
Describe something you received for free.
What was it?
Who did you receive it from and when?
How did you receive it?
And how did you feel?
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SAMPLE ANSWER TWO-
One comes across few instances in life, when he/she receives freebies on certain occasions. One plus one is one such bogof, where you get to receive one gift free along with the one bought by you. At one point of time, I was the recipient of such a free giving occasion. It was a farm sized pizza, more than enough for even two people and we were only two, my wife and me, at that time.
We planned to go for some shopping in Delhi on the eve of our first wedding anniversary. It was the summer time and we went to Connaught place in central Delhi, where we can easily access big branded showrooms for both of us. By the time we were finished with the shopping, it was noon already. Sun was overhead and we felt like lounging ourselves in a chill restaurant for lunch. My wife immediately popped up with the idea of a pizza at MacDonald’s. We were the occasional gobblers of such fast foods therefore I, at once, gave my consent to it. We went to the one located nearby and placed ourselves well, waiting eagerly for the menu.
Just then, when we were merrily whispering about the special day, a waiter overheard us without our cognizance. He approached us asking for our favourite menu. My wife ordered a one for two, Veg pizza with extra cheese, for both of us. While we were waiting, waiter reappeared with a farm size pizza with extra cheese. I was about to enquire about the size when he interjected me with the greeting and a broad smile for our anniversary. He then informed us, how he came to know and how their place organizes a free treat for the couples on their special day.
Well, I was already feeling my pocket pinched after an exhaustive shopping spree along with a large ravenous appetite. I was simply overdelighted with that free offer of our choice. My wife’s eyes gleamed too and we together acknowledged it as the best gift on that ceremonial occasion.
STRONG WORDS
Word
Meaning
Gleam
Shine: Happiness brings gleam in our eyes.
Ravenous
Very hungry: After a few hours of exercise, I felt ravenous.
Follow-up Questions
Q. 1 Why do we like free gifts?
Sample answer: A gift coming for free happens usually on particular special occasions like birthday, marriage and so on. But receiving one on some unusual day just springboards our surprise and joy. Getting something when one is not prepared to spend comes as a luxury.
Q. 2 Why do restaurants and shopping centres give free gifts?
Sample answer: In the present scenario of cutthroat competition, enterprises play several marketing stints to attract the customers. Offering free gifts on some occasions is a subset of that marketing propaganda to increase the no. of footfalls.
Q. 3 Do freebies really turn into motivation for customers to revisit?
Sample answer: Yes, many times, for majority of the people, it definitely leaves an alluring impression. Such freebies act as inducements, especially when the gift is likeable and the routine items sold by the shop are not of very inferior quality.
Q. 4 Can the excess of free gifts have the negative impact too?
Sample answer: Yes, indeed. Excess disbursing of free items can lead to an altogether different perspective about the enterprise, in the minds of customers. They may feel sceptical about the quality or they might just be addicted to that free item only. In this case, strength of the genuine customers might be affected adversely.
IELTS Speaking Cue Card: An interesting person from a foreign country
Describe an interesting person from a foreign country.
You should say:
Who he/she is?
Where he/she is from?
How long you have known him/her?
and explain why you think he/she is an interesting person.
Sample Answer
Today, I’m going to talk about a foreigner who I think is extremely interesting.
I work as a software developer in a multinational company called Capgemini. At present, we’re working on an international project and there are many foreigners in my team. I’ve a healthy relationship with all of them but I particularly like my team leader.
His name is Martin Henze. He is from Germany. Martin has a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Technical University of Munich. I first met him in April 2015 when I went to Munich for attending a conference. It’s been almost three years since then.
In my view, Martin is a captivating person. He has many personal and professional attributes which make him special. Professionally, his in-depth knowledge of computer programming and problem-solving skills differentiate him from others. He also has effective communication and presentation skills. His excellent rapport with his colleagues and leadership skills can’t go unnoticed.
Personally, Martin has a pleasing personality. He is very kind and generous. He never shows off his seniority and treats everyone equally. All of us can share our views freely with him. If anyone has a suggestion to improve something, he always listens to them. In my view, developing all these skills is not at all easy. One has to work really hard to develop them and be like him. In short, Martin is my professional role model.
Describe a foreign cultural festival that you like
What it is about?
How you know about it?
What difference there is between that culture and your own?
And explain why you like that foreign culture.
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SAMPLE ANSWER-
The manifold cultures are a set of learned behaviors, beliefs and norms of a specific group of individuals. Our world is full of a variety of cultures and it is something that makes every community unique. I’ve had the opportunity to experience some of the cultures when I was on a recent reunion trip to Nepal with my schoolmates. As one of our friends was from Nepal itself, we came across different cultural traditions that are practiced in that region.
We planned our trip in November, during our festive break. Surprisingly, a similar festival was taking place in Nepal which was enriched with rituals and the citizens of the country were busy decorating, making most of the festive mood. The ritual that fascinated me the most was a festival called ‘Kukur Puja’ which literally means the worship of dogs. The people of that country devoted a mini-festival solely to human’s most devoted friend faithful companion.
Being a dog lover myself, it really delighted me to witness these adorable canines treated with special love and admiration. During this festival, the Nepalese offer flower garlands and delicious food to their pet dogs as well as stray dogs which symbolized their sacredness. This particular festival is not practiced in the culture I come from. Animals, especially dogs are ill-treated and mishandled not only in India but other parts of the world as well. Humans use them for scientific experiments while some slaughter them for meat.
In Nepal, dogs are considered as mankind’s guardian. After talking to some of the inhabitants, I learned that they trusted dogs to accompany them on the way to heaven. I felt extremely overwhelmed to be a part of this heart-melting festival of Kathmandu.
