IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A PERSON WHO
OFTEN TRAVELS BY PLANE
Describe a person who often travels by plane
You should say:
- Who he or she is
- Where he or she goes
- Why he or she travels by plane
And explain how he or she feels about it
A N S W E R
Honestly, I barely know someone who is a frequent traveler by plane, however, a few months ago, while I was attending a career seminar for graduating university students in our school, I met and personally talked with one of the most valuable speakers of that seminar.
His name is Reynolds and he works in one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world. He is a Global Brand Manager and is based in New South Wales, Australia, as far as I can remember.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Barely [adv.] – hardly; almost not
Frequent [adj.] – repeated; periodic
Briefly [adv.] – for a short time
Consumer goods company [noun] – a company that manufactures food, beverages, and other commodities
As far as I can remember [phrase] – used when recalling something in the past but you are not completely sure if you’re correct
Well, our university traditionally hosts a once-in-a-year and the largest job seminar in our city and usually invites various local and international companies to promote their company to students and invite them to give it a shot in applying to their respective companies.
As I was one of the members of a student organization at that university, I had a chance to talk with Mr. Reynolds, I learned that he traveled more than 50 times a year visiting his company’s subsidiaries in the Asia Pacific Region to spearhead the launching of their new products from time to time. He also conducts some workshops about branding to workers and delivers several speeches to different institutions especially universities like ours.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Traditionally [adv.] – something that is done regularly
Host [verb] – hold
Give a shot [idiom] – to try
Respective [adj.] – belonging to
Organizer [noun] – a person who arranges an event
Subsidiary [noun] – a company that is controlled by a holding company; branch
Launch [verb] – to start; introduce
Spearhead [verb] – to lead an organized activity or project
From time to time [phrase] – occasionally
Anyway, after that seminar, we had a casual talk and he shared some of his wonderful experiences being a worker and at the same time a traveler. He said that he really loved his job since he had a lot of opportunities to visit different countries, and it helped him broaden his perspective on life through learning and experiencing a wide array of cultures.
Unfortunately, our conversation was shortly interrupted since he got a phone call but he left me with a valuable piece of advice and that’s to find a job that would help me grow professionally and at the same time make me happy. I was very inspired after hearing that golden advice that I hope I can find a job that gives me the opportunity to travel countlessly like Mr. Reynolds.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Broaden (one’s) perspective [idiom] – to increase one’s knowledge or understanding
(A wide) array [noun] – a large number
Piece of advice [expression] – to give advice or counsel
(Note: We don’t say ‘advices’ but we say ‘pieces of advice’.)
Countlessly [adv.] – too many to count
PART 3
What are the advantages of traveling by plane?
I do not see many benefits when traveling by plane, except for the fact that it is the fastest means of transportation among other modes of transport. Because of airplanes, traveling time has been reduced substantially compared to the past wherein people were only reliant on ships whenever they embarked on a journey. I cannot imagine how inconvenient it was to spend several days or even a month on the sea to reach a foreign land.
Thanks to the invention of airplanes, people can travel conveniently as it reduces the number of hours spent on traveling and I believe that is the ultimate advantage of traveling by aircraft.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Means of transportation / mode of transport [noun] – any vehicle that you can travel or carry goods
Substantially [adv.] – to a great extent
Reliant [adj.] – dependent on someone or something
Embark [verb] – to begin a travel
Foreign land [expression] – another country
Ultimate [adj.] – best; greatest
Aircraft [noun] – a plane
What are the disadvantages of living near an airport?
There are a couple of challenges to living in a residence in which the airport is just a few kilometers away. The main challenge is noise pollution. It is undeniable that the sound that is produced by an aircraft when it is taking off or touching down is loud, which surely bothers the residents who are living near the airport. For sure, some residents are awakened by the noise of the planes when sleeping every now and then.
Another challenge that I see is traffic – traffic jams are expected in the area that is close to the airport, for the obvious reason and this contributes to noise pollution as well. Well, these are the problems that I see upon living in a place that is near an airport and I believe if you are a person who loves tranquility, you should never live in that kind of place.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
A couple of [idiom] – two things or a few things
Residence [noun] – home
Take off [phrasal verb] – to leave the ground and fly
Touch down [phrasal verb] – to land
Tranquility [noun] – being calm
Would you prefer the airport to be built inside the city or on the outskirts?
As I am living in the outskirts and life there is calm – without any noise pollution and overcrowded roads, and the cost of living is very affordable, I would prefer an airport to be in the metropolis not in the kind of place where I am living.
This is simply because I do not like the outskirts to become too industrialized, once industrialization comes in, it is expected that the serenity of the outskirts will vanish and the cost of living will rise significantly. Besides, airports are usually built in metropolitan areas because of convenience, so let that trend remain as is.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Outskirts [noun] – the outer part of the city or town
Metropolis [noun] – the capital city
Come in [phrasal verb] – enter; arrive
Vanish [verb] – disappear completely
Significantly [adv.] – seriously; in a sufficiently great
As is [phrase] – in the existing circumstance
What do people consider when they buy a plane ticket, the cost or comfort?
I cannot generalize all travelers since every traveler is unique in terms of financial capacity or travel priorities. There are those people who prefer comfort over cost and are willing to pay high-priced tickets because they just want convenience more than anything else when traveling.
However, there are those travelers who pay more attention to the cost and buy economical tickets or opt for low-cost carriers since they cannot afford to purchase hefty price tickets, or some of them simply want to be economical and practical. So, practically speaking, the choice depends on what the traveler prioritizes and his circumstances.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
In terms of [phrase] – with regard to
High-priced [adj.] – expensive
Opt [verb] – choose
Low-cost carrier [noun] – a budget airline which means no traditional amenities
Hefty [adj.] – large amount
Circumstance [noun] – the situation, condition
Yes, this is how you answer the recent IELTS Speaking Part 1 topic about
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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