Tag: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

IELTS Cue Card: Describe an activity that you engage in and waste your time.

Describe an activity that you engage in and waste your time.
You should say :

• What is that activity and when did you start the indulgence?
• Why did you engage in that activity?
• Why do you think it as a waste of time?

and what else can be done?

Sample Answer:

Although, nowadays it is a popular trend to say that I am very busy. But, if we observe a little closely, we will find that most of us waste our time in such an unconscious manner that we do not even stay aware of it. I also engage in this activity of net and social media browsing, which, I came to realise lately, is a sheer waste of time. Whenever I have a break at work or whenever I am at home, I instantly start browsing on my phone. Reading and watching different posts, messages, blogs and other such useless gossip turned into adrenaline pumpers and eventually, the addiction. These quivers offered by the internet start offering vicarious entertainment, and one gets hooked to them. I started this habit only a year ago, when I bought my new smartphone. The feature phone I used to have earlier had no such space for internet windows.

I started with opening an account on Facebook, which is a very common cult among netizens. It was after that that I started receiving so many comments, posts, videos and whatnot on my account. Once I started diving in them, I kept on pushing deeper and deeper. Some are funny to watch, while others have an aphrodisiac nature. Some criticise the PM while others support the government. Some comments make you feel like a hero, while others bring embarrassment. It is this colourful play of different emotions and temperaments which becomes an inducement for any user and similarly for me.

For the first few months after I bought the smartphone, I could not even realise the long durations at a stretch, just floating in those clouds and networks. It was only lately when I started feeling a severe backache and detected a rise in my lens number. I had literally punished my health for the sake of the activity of sitting with that stupid device in any bad posture. Then I realised that there is nothing creative or productive which is drawn out of this useless activity, which not only consumes time but health as well.

STRONG WORDS

 

Word	Meaning
Quiver	Sudden vibrations: Loud music at the party sent shivers through my body.
Vicarious	Not original, derived: One should not believe in vicarious satisfactions.
Atrophy	Judicious policies do not allow atrophy of natural resources.

Follow-up Questions

Q. 1 Why do people engage in activities other than work?

Sample answer: Actually, the urgency in life at all times can drive a person crazy. Therefore, one takes a break in work as well as in the thought process. Otherwise, one would become totally mechanical with no time for amusing and creative things. Therefore, to spend some time for personal rejuvenation, people engage in activities other than work.

Q. 2 How does an activity become a time-wasting activity?

Sample answer: Initially, no activity can be termed a time-wasting activity. Even listening to a joke will be called an amusement and entertainment, necessary for living beings. But when we indulge in an activity for a longer duration, then it becomes a matter of concern to evaluate the productivity and utility of that activity; otherwise, it becomes an atrophy. For instance, drinking wine occasionally can be entertainment, but overindulgence in drinking will change its character from amusement to devastation.

Q. 3 What should the parents do to avoid children getting overengaged in video games?

Sample answer: First of all, children, even till the graduation level, should not be handed the mobile phones. They can learn their apt soft skills on a desktop or personal computer placed in a common place for everyone. Secondly, even if they use the mobile phones of parents for some time, they should be duly observed and should not be allowed for overtime. Moreover, parents should educate their children about the uses and drawbacks of using a mobile phone at an early age. Rather, they should encourage them to participate in outdoor games, instead.

Q. 4 How can people spend their time creatively?

Sample answer: Books are considered to be the best friends in free time. Reading good books not only provides information on so many streams, but it also paves the way for the generation of new ideas after the accumulation of knowledge. Apart from this, one can be engaged in outdoor games and adventures. This will help in maintaining good health and enthusiastic spirits.

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Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

IELTS BAND 7

8439000086

8439000087

7055710004

IELTS BAND 7 Dehradun: Best Coaching in Dehradun
323 GMS Road, Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

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The officially registered trademark ‘BAND7’ (Trademark No. 4717489) is allocated to Anuj Kumar.

IELTS Cue Card: Speak about a difficult thing you did

Speak about a difficult thing you did.
You should say:

• What was that activity?
• When and where did you do it?
• How did you do it?

And how do you feel after it.

Sample Answer:

We often come across few difficult tasks in our day-to-day lives. Tasks which are practised less often turn into difficult tasks. When we are performing a task for the first time, at that time, the difficulty level is higher. As we practise more and become proficient, the difficulty level decreases and tasks are performed better in less time. Anyways, we almost always remember the struggle we underwent in those difficult times. I, too, remember my efforts in debugging a software program that was infected very severely and damaging our whole server’s data.

Basically, I am a software engineer and work in an MNC based in Dehradun. We have been offering the software solutions to our clients for the last 20 years, who are spread all over the globe. I am a programmer at Core but also deal in security systems and protection. I just have an average, fair knowledge about malwares and debugging, and from no angle am I an expert. A few months back, our chief engineer for software security was on a long leave. His team used to handle the security issues well, even in his absence, but one day, all the systems suddenly shut down like a blackout except the master computer networked directly to the server.

We acknowledged that it was a virus attack injected intentionally in our cloud space. Our existing programmes were inadequate to counter this superiorly coded malware sent into our network. This could have led to the stealing of private classified data if handled erroneously. I had dealt with debugging programmes earlier also, but here, I needed to include one extra loop in my programme to run it successfully. I scratched my grey cells for 10 hrs at a stretch to run the new programme. After a series of successive futile efforts, I finally managed to crack the code and debug the software. Our whole team shouted with a hurray and lifted me on their shoulders.

I was kind of an on-the-spot hero for my colleagues. I am a serious freak about anything that I do. This was a big leap in my programming skills, and I invented that in an exigency. That forged tonnes of confidence inside me, being fit to perform under pressure. My boss promoted me the next day, and I felt very elated.

STRONG WORDS

Word	Meaning
Erroneously	Inaccurately: The Present approach taken by world leaders to combat climate change seems to be erroneous, as there are no substantial results over so many years
Exigency	emergency: One should remember the exigency numbers provided by state administration

Follow-up Questions

Q.1 Do you like to take up difficult tasks? Why?

Sample answer: Yes, quite often I volunteer for the difficult tasks. Since my childhood days, I used to believe in doing the tasks which were not being done earlier or were very difficult to perform. I think this appetite keeps me high and motivated. Tough tasks appear to me as challenges, and the accomplishment of those tasks after my strenuous efforts gives an immense sense of joy and satisfaction.

Q. 2 How can we shed the fear of taking up difficult tasks?

Sample answer: I think we should not take up the most difficult task in the very beginning. We should follow the slow and steady approach in mastering a particular task, and only later on should we venture into the toughest aspects of it. Even the small and easy achievements in the beginning can be rich motivators and brain openers, preparing us for the next difficult task.

Q. 3 Do you believe in punishment as a tool for improvement in performance?

Sample answer: I may not be able to answer this question absolutely. Because on one hand, I believe that even negative reinforcement or punishment can be instrumental in performance improvement if administered properly and without time delays, while on the other hand, I cannot claim punishment to be the only effective option for corrections. I think one should resort to it as the last available option. Positive reinforcements and right encouragement can be highly effective in performing difficult tasks.

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Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.

IELTS BAND 7

8439000086

8439000087

7055710004

IELTS BAND 7 Dehradun: Best Coaching in Dehradun
323 GMS Road, Near Ballupur Chowk, Dehradun

email: info at ieltsband7.com

IELTS online simulator

The officially registered trademark ‘BAND7’ (Trademark No. 4717489) is allocated to Anuj Kumar.