IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
TAKING SOME MEDICINE
Describe a time when you had to take some medicine
You should say:
- When it happened
- Who gave it
- Why you had it
And explain how you felt after
A N S W E R
Actually, I was really having a hard time remembering an instance when I had to take some medicine simply because in the first place I avoided taking them. I see manufactured medicines as dangerous to my body, so I always opt for traditional medicine. I started to become an advocate of alternative medicine when I was in college.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Instance [noun] – a situation; example
Manufactured medicines [noun] – commercial medicines
Opt [verb] – choose
Advocate [noun] – a person who publicly supports a cause
Alternative medicine [noun] – traditional medicine
Anyway, I remember when I was only ten years old, I was extremely sick, I caught a fever after I joined a school camp. I was hospitalized for three days and I needed to take some antibiotics. I also suffered from dehydration at that time, I bet that was because of the strenuous activities that I did during that summer camp.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Catch a fever [phrase] – to acquire a fever
Antibiotic [noun] – a kind of medicine that inhibits or destroys some microorganism
Dehydration [noun] – the loss or removal of water from the body
I bet [expression] – to show that you understand about something why someone or something happens
Strenuous [adj] – requiring so much effort
It was a traumatizing experience for me staying in the hospital and all I could do was lie in bed, sleep, eat little, and take some medicine. There was no time that I would not vomit after taking some medicine, the smell of it was just horrible. That is also one good reason why I shifted to traditional medicine, I can’t take the smell of manufactured medicines.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Traumatizing [adj] – shocking; disturbing
Vomit [verb] – to eject something from the stomach through the mouth
Shift [verb] – to change
Well to make the long story short, I got cured on the fourth day, I was permitted to go back home, and thank God, I didn’t need to take some more medicines as my doctor told my mom that I just needed to get enough rest and drink plenty of water, which I really did as I didn’t want to be sick again.
That experience of mine was the very last time that I was admitted to a hospital and took some medicines. These days, as I’m a fan of alternative medicines, I couldn’t be happier since I have never experienced any serious illness.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Cure [verb] – to heal
Permit [verb] – allow
Thank God [phrase] – to say that you’re happy
Admit (to hospital) [verb] – to be sent
I’m a fan [expression] – another way to say I support
I couldn’t be happier [idiom] – to be very happy
PART 3
What is your opinion of buying medicine online?
Well, I do not have any problem with that as almost all kinds of transactions nowadays are done online. That is not surprising at all! That kind of system provides convenience to consumers most especially to those elderly people.
As I do not have any experience buying some medicine online, I do not know how it works, perhaps only over-the-counter drugs can be purchased online but those that need a prescription are an exemption. All in all, I see this as favorable, and for sure more and more products will be transacted online in the years to come like this trend of buying medicine online.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Transact [verb] – carry out (business); perform
Transaction [noun]
Over-the-counter drugs [noun] – drugs that can be bought without a prescription
Exemption [noun] – excluded; not included
All in all [phrase] – on the whole
Why do you think children hate taking some medicine?
The fact that the usual taste of the medicine is awful is what makes children abhor medicines. As I was once a child, I could really empathize with them, it is surely difficult to swallow the medicine as the smell of it triggers them to vomit, much more when it sticks to their tongue since they can taste its bitterness.
I believe the majority of parents are having a hard time making their children take some medicines and I suppose that is one factor why pharmaceutical companies are manufacturing medicines that are flavorful and some are like chewable candies just to trick them. Because of that, it is no wonder why children avoid taking medicines.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
The fact that [phrase] – gives emphasis
Abhor [verb] – hate
Empathize [verb] – understand the feeling of others because one has experienced the same thing
Trigger [verb] – cause to feel upset
Vomit [verb] – eject something from the stomach through the mouth; puke
Pharmaceutical [fahr-muh-soo-ti-kuh l] companies [noun] – companies that create medicines
Trick [verb] – to make someone believe something is different from the actual thing
Do you think medicine is harmful?
My opinion on this matter is completely biased since I do not take any over-the-counter medicine at all. I have to say they are dangerous. I live a healthy life and I always go for something natural. I always believe that nature is best at curing some illnesses. For instance, I usually prepare some home remedies when I feel unwell like having a cold or flu. I drink some boiled ginger or lemon or I drink some cups of tea. This is how I medicate myself and I usually get better.
As you know, in ancient history, there were no commercialized medicines, people in the past only relied on nature and they could live longer. If they could do that, there is no reason why we cannot practice it as well. Nature plus healthy living makes people free from diseases.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Home remedies [noun] – traditional cure of illness
Medicate [verb] – treat
Commercialized medicines [noun] – manufactured medicines
Develop a story better in Part 2 for
the recent IELTS Speaking CUE
CARD about
A TIME YOU HAD YOUR FIRST MOBILE PHONE
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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