Tag: IELTS Cue Card

IELTS Cue Card Talk about a time you were travelling but were delayed

Talk about a time you were travelling but were delayed 

 

You should day

• Where were you travelling to?
• Why were you delayed?
• How did you overcome the delay?
• And describe the entire episode in detail.

Sample Answer

Travel is a requisite of the modern lifestyle. One cannot achieve globalization without interpersonal communication after all. Even though now the situation has changed quite a bit since the outbreak of this pandemic, travel for essential services still carries on.

My story happened quite a while ago; I believe it was in the December of 2017. Now, I was going to travel to Sri Lanka for a vacation with my family. We were set to arrive at the airport at 4 pm so we could board our 7 pm international flight on time. A tip for travel I always keep in mind is to be as unhurried as possible, be it driving or train travel; you always want to have extra time, it takes away the unnecessary stress.

Naturally, we had a bit of a tussle with our baggage to get it out of the drop off taxi trunk but we managed in the end. As we entered the terminal gates were greeted by the classic coffee scent that permeates most airports. So far, the situation was looking good. We managed to get past check-in, baggage, security and customs with no hiccups at all with an hour to spare.

Here’s where the trouble started. Soon after boarding the flight and idly waiting for a half-hour for the flight to take off, we were asked to deboard as the flight was facing technical issues. So, we boarded the airport bus and were all relocated to a new flight. Our baggage relocation took us another hour. At this point many people were getting very antsy, and for good reason too. This was supposed be a short 3-hour flight and we already had to endure more than 2 hours of waiting time, it was quite preposterous.

My family and I dealt with it by simply getting out our travel pack Uno game. That’s another great tip for anyone who’s travelling with kids; always bring travel-friendly games along because the kids will get bored. We played a variation of games with the card pack, original Uno, bluff, and a couple of games my kids came up with. After some very suspicious game rule changes and some very victorious kids, the announcement of the flight being ready for takeoff started. We arrived that night in Sri Lanka, where we found our waiting cab and managed to drive to the hotel. The journey ended up pretty smoothly despite the technical delay we faced. As they say, “all’s well that ends well”.

 

Speaking part 3 follow up questions:

Q.1 What are the most common reasons that cause travel delays?

Answer: I think severe weather conditions and technical defect are the two biggest causes of travel delays. Traffic congestion, diversion of routes due to accidents or repair work also lead to travel disruptions.

Q.2 Do you think too many people are dependent on cars as a means of transport?

Answer: Definitely, yes. The number of people who depend on cars for commuting and travelling has gone up considerably in the past few decades.

Q.3 Why do people prefer to travel by car?

Answer: I think there are two main reasons why people prefer to travel by car. Firstly, public transport systems like buses and trains are poorly maintained in many parts of the world. Secondly, cars have become a status symbol. Nobody wants to wait for hours and board an overcrowded bus or train. Those who can afford tend to avoid using public transport facilities and prefer their own mode of transport. It not only saves their time but also gives them comfort and privacy.

antsy	very nervous, worried, or unpleasantly excited
preposterous	very silly or stupid

 

Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

8439000086

8439000087

7055710003

7055710004

IELTS Band 7 Dehradun
Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

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IELTS Cue Card Talk about an animal you like

 

Talk about an animal you like.

 

You should say:

• What this animal is
• What is special about this animal?
• How it looks like
• And explain why you like this animal.

 

Sample Answer

Animals are eclectic creatures; they go all the way from the very friendly and domesticated to the lethal and feral. They come in a manner of shapes, sizes and colours. Even animals of a single species are incomparable to their counterparts due to the sheer number of differences.

Today I will talk about one of my all-time favourite animals; the horse. Now, again, horses come in all sorts of combinations. Shetland ponies have a stockier body, round shape, thick fur, and short stubby legs, they are not all that much used in athletic pursuits. Now Arabian Horses, on the other hand, are taller, sleekly built with light bones, used exclusively for racing. Now both of these are scientifically speaking horses, but are oh so different in appearance, nature and purpose.

Although despite the physical dissimilarity, all horses have some things in common which earn them the top spots among my favourite animals. For one, their movements. Whenever a horse moves, I can’t help but admire the powerful muscles bulging and gliding beneath their coats, the sheer potential power they have in each step is breathtaking. The way they move is more elegant than most humans can ever hope to achieve. Their might is undeniable. For another, they are loyal, intelligent, and empathetic creatures. The bonds that a rider and horse may form is second to none. The care they give to their young is much alike to the way humans interact with their parents. I find this incredibly heartwarming.

Additionally, horses are really fun to draw, be it in action poses or just dramatically standing on the edge of a cliff, they give a great perspective on autonomy along with spicing the image up with their natural dramatic flair. A great example of this is in the painting done by George Stubbs named “Whistlejacket”, the painting has absolutely no background, and yet you can feel the power radiating outward from that piece. It was one of my very first case studies on how to draw horses.

 

Speaking part 3 follow up questions:

 

Q.1 Do people in your country keep animals at home?

Animals like cows, buffaloes and goats are domesticated widely in the countryside. In fact, livestock rearing provides sustainable livelihoods to millions of people living in rural areas.

Q.2 Do you think pets are important?

Yes, certainly. Pets can bring love and companionship into our life. Many studies have shown that keeping pets reduces our stress levels, thereby improving our health and well-being.

Q.3 Do animals have rights?

Humans use animals for food and related by-products, farming and a variety of other uses. Everyday millions of different types of animals are killed for food globally. Just by looking at these figures, I’d say that these creatures should at least have the right to live. But, who cares? Laws are made for protecting animals but they don’t work in reality.

Useful words and their meanings
Eclectic	consisting of different types, methods, styles, etc.
Feral	A feral animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated specimens.
Autonomy	the right of an organization, country, or region to be independent and govern itself
Livestock rearing	raising of animals for use or for pleasure

 

Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

8439000086

8439000087

7055710003

7055710004

IELTS Band 7 Dehradun
Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

IELTS BAND 7 Home page

IELTS Cue Card with Follow-up Questions

Talk about a park or a garden you visited

 

You should say

• • Where was the park/garden located?
  • What did it look like?
  • Why did you enjoy going there?
  • And describe the garden in detail.

Sample Answer

Parks are a great place for everyone. There are beautiful trees, gorgeous flowers, shy animals and lively insects. I dare say there is not an age group that doesn’t enjoy a good walk in the park. Why the elderly like long strolls, the parent’s get some peace and quiet, the kids see all kinds of curious things, insatiable beings as they are.

Today I will talk about one of my favorite parks, Hinchinbrook Park. This park was located right behind our house, but it had truly sprawling gardens and ginormous trees. In the latter part of my stay there was even an outdoor gym installed. My family and I used to love going to park on weekends for picnics.

The garden was of Temperate Deciduous Forest Species, meaning oak, maple, and birch and willow trees were the main tree types. The park’s wetlands were made up of two large lakes along with smaller ponds, lakes and even a brook. Ducks were regularly seen in the area along with other migratory water birds. Reed buntings were the most common sight among the high grass.

There were benches located all around the lakes and park, where I distinctly remember sitting and painting on a popup canvas. I have to say though the dragon flies were a bit of a nuisance. In the autumn the trees would turn this magical shade of golden red and the leaves would start falling. That was my favorite time to visit the gardens.

Another notable feature of this wondrous park was the apiary, which was maintained by the park’s own beekeeper association, the honey was also for sale for anyone wanting to buy it. Throughout the year the park also hosted various events, including a memorable biking showcase where I got to try out a new model electric bike.

Now that I think about it, I have a lot of fond memories of this park that I had almost forgotten! Gosh, I wish there were more of these kinds of parks all around the world, everyone deserves to connect with nature on such a deep level.

Follow-up Questions;

Q1: What other fond memories do you have of this park?

Ans: Like I said, our family used to go on picnics on the weekend, I used to bring my entire painters kit and sometimes sit and paint. Other times, I would play chase with my kids after a hearty meal. My kids and wife used to make flower chains form the daisies and buttercups, often I would be the recipient of a flower crown which I was not allowed to remove till we got home. Those are some other fun memories.

Q2: What do you think is the future of such parks?

Ans: I would dearly hope that such parks are kept preserved and loved. I would adore it if we could see more of them all around the world, showcasing and nourishing nature’s best efforts. With rapid urbanization, I know this is a bit of a far-off dream but we still have hope in the concept of roof gardens.

Q3: What is your stand on roof gardens from an ecological habitat standpoint?

Ans: I would be hard to have truly habitable roof gardens individually as everyone would try to personalize their own. With the availability of non-indigenous plants in shops, the wildlife would certainly face confusion. The only way to make such a concept work is to have an ecologist pre-plan roof gardens for the welfare of the local species. Such a concept would require constant monitoring and careful execution, but it is certainly doable.

Useful words and their meanings

High-level useful words and their meanings:
insatiable	(especially of a desire or need) too great to be satisfied
sprawling	existing or reaching over a large area
ginormous	extremely large
wetlands	an area of land that is naturally wet
apiary	a place where people keep bees, especially a collection of hives kept to provide honey

 

Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

8439000086

8439000087

7055710003

7055710004

IELTS Band 7 Dehradun
Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

IELTS BAND 7 Home page