IELTS Cue Card Sample Questions # Earthquakes

Earthquakes are a kind of natural disaster that destroys livelihoods more than any other form of natural disaster does. Not that the impact of the others is not high, but the frequency of earthquakes in recent times has been so high, that it has impacted livelihoods and business like no other. This time let us have a look at some questions that could be asked related to a calamity in the Section II of the speaking section in IELTS.

Describe a natural calamity that you fear. You should say:

• what it is and why do you fear it
• how long it has existed
• how it affects people’s lives

and explain how you think the damage can be reduced.

SAMPLE ANSWER 1

The one calamity that truly shakes me up is Earthquake. The reason I really am afraid of Earthquakes is that they cause more destruction and are often responsible for causing other forms of natural calamities. For instance, landslides and then tsunamis. Earthquakes, if not take away lives, do cause some building to fall. Often these are the life time savings of an individual. Even more, it has been observed that Earthquakes often come at times when nothing much could be done. Like, during night, when everyone is sleeping. Most people do not even feel the tremors until they die.

Earthquakes have been part of our history since Earth was made. They were responsible for shaking things up and changing our lands. Earthquakes surely bring about lot of changes. Not only do they cause deaths and tremors, often times they shatter people’s dream. For example, the 2001 Earthquake of Gujarat, not only caused loss of life, but there were many who had just built a home, or had bought a shop. People lost almost everything in it.

The only way we can fight back Earthquakes is by building homes and shops that are strong enough to handle Earthquakes. Also, there should be better analysis of Earthquake done to ensure that people know about it before hand and could take preventive measures.

EARTHQUAKES

SAMPLE ANSWER 2

The one natural calamity that I dread is Earthquake. The mere sight of losing everything that you have, not only the ones you love, but your dreams, shakes me up. Recently, while watching a video on Earthquake I saw a person half body under a stone and he was crying. The scene was so painful that I felt bad for the entire day. Even more, Earthquakes happen so fast and change things in way that one can never imagine.

Earthquakes not only affect lives primarily but are also responsible for causing other natural calamities, like Tsunami and landslides. On top of it, they have become so frequent that it seem as if some part of the Earth is always shaking up. As far as I know, Earthquakes are the reason Earth and all our lives came into existence and they have been part of us since Earth came into being.

The only way we can fight back Earthquake is by making sure that our walls are strong enough to endure it. Not only of our home but of our office and any place that we go. It is often our negligence to make safer places, that makes the impact of Earthquake worse. Also, proper analysis must be done for the Earthquake and if there is a chance of it, people should be made aware about it through news channels or any other medium of mass communication.

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