IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A MAGAZINE THAT YOU
LIKE
Describe a magazine that you like
You should say:
- What it is
- When you started reading it
- How you feel about it
And explain why you like this magazine
A N S W E R
I consider myself a bookworm, I read different kinds of books and magazines more than you can imagine. Well, Reader’s Digest is my first love in terms of magazines since I grew up spending my leisure time reading it. If I’m not wrong, I started having an interest in reading it when I was only nine years old.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Bookworm [noun] – a person who loves or enjoys reading
More than you/one can imagine [expression] – to give emphasis that it’s more than one can think
My first love [expression] – favorite
Tip: The use of conditional tense like that in the last line will have a positive impact on your grammar since it is considered advanced grammar.
Reader’s Digest is an American general-interest magazine that is intended for families. To be exact, it was founded in 1922. Since its theme is general, articles about health, home, environment, sports, food, parenting, and success stories of people from around the globe are what readers can devour.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Devour [verb] – read eagerly
Tip: This part gives a description of what the magazine is about. In this way, the speaker is feeding the examiner details so that he can understand better.
Well, as far as I can remember, I first learned about this magazine when I was just a grader, one time my dad came home from work with that magazine and placed it on the table in our living room. The cover caught my interest, it was an image of a woman with the caption, ‘How I Survived From Breast Cancer’. It was really timely since at that time my best friend’s mom was suffering from the said cancer. Well, to be honest, I didn’t have a thorough understanding of that illness since I was only a kid at that time, in spite of that, I read the whole story to satisfy my curiosity. Little did I know that I would be loving this magazine up to now.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Grader [noun] – elementary pupil
Caught my interest [expression] – caught my attention
To satisfy my curiosity [expression] – when you have satisfied your curiosity, you feel good because you know something that you really need to know
Little did I know [expression] – used for saying that I did not know or realize that something is true
Anyway, my favorite part of this magazine is the section on “Life’s Like That” since it features a mini-story of people’s experiences in their daily lives. They are really amusing since some of them are relatable, and they sometimes burst you into laughter.
This magazine has been world-renowned since it has global editions. Honestly, I would never trade the enjoyment that I always have when reading this magazine for surfing the net worthlessly, which most young people do nowadays.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Amusing [adj.] – entertaining; funny
Relatable [adj.] – that someone can understand or feel sympathy
Burst into laughter [expression] – to suddenly laugh
World-renowned [adj.] – famous
I would never trade … [expression] – not to exchange for something that is not more valuable than the thing one has or currently enjoys
PART 3
What kinds of magazines are famous in your country?
Well, I have to say technology and travel magazines are extremely popular here in South Korea. As you know, my country is one of the global leaders in terms of smart devices, which I really take pride in, Koreans are keen on the latest models of smartphones and smartwatches. I believe some people here want to keep updated on what tech giant companies are developing.
Also, magazines about travel and holidays are widespread, we can see them in every shop or in offices, I guess because we Korean people consider traveling as a hobby. So these two types of magazines have been a part of our reading culture.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Global leader [noun] – world leader
Take pride in [idiom] – to be proud
Giant companies [noun] – successful companies
Widespread [adj.] – common; distributed by a large number of people
Do you think men enjoy reading fashion magazines?
I believe so, but absolutely not all men, we cannot generalize that every man is into fashion. In the first place, fashion magazine is not solely created for the female audience, it is for everyone who has an interest in fashion. Gone are the days when people’s mindset was stereotypical that fashion was only associated with women.
Nowadays men’s fashion magazines have been a huge business since men have started taking care of themselves, by wanting to look their best, and that I believe because of the influence of pop stars or Hollywood actors. So it is undeniable that more and more men are eager to spend some money just to know the latest fashion.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Solely [adverb] – only
Gone are the days [idiom] – describing something in the past
Stereotype [noun] – an over-generalized belief of people
Stereotypical [adj.]
Associate [verb] – link; connect
What kinds of magazines do teenagers like to read? What about the old people?
To be honest, I do not have an opportunity to meet teenagers since my circle of friends is mostly composed of young adults. So my answer is only an assumption, I suppose girls find delight in reading magazines which feature gossip or stories about famous stars. As for boys, I guess some are fascinated by reading sports magazines as they start to idolize some sports stars like Messi or Beckham.
On the other hand, the elderly, I believe are mostly into reading news magazines such as business or economics since they have more interest in the standing of local and world economy.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Circle of friends [expression] – a group of friends with common interest
Assumption [noun] – presumption; belief; speculation
Find delight [expression] – to enjoy; to satisfy
Fascinated [adj.] – interested
Idolize [verb] – admire; adore
Standing [noun] – status
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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