IELTS CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A PERSON WHO YOU THINK
IS VERY OPEN
Describe a person who you think is very open
You should say:
- Who this person is
- How you knew this person
- Why you think this person is very open
And explain how you feel about this person
A N S W E R
Let me talk about one of my interesting acquaintances when I attended my friend’s birthday party last year. Her name’s Emma and she’s one of the organizers of that birthday bash.
Well, I attended my friend’s coming-of-age party last year which was held in a function room in one of the most popular hotels in our city. I intentionally arrived early at the venue because I didn’t want to be late. I decided to sit at the table that’s situated in the corner while waiting for my friends to arrive. I was a little bit ill at ease then since I didn’t know anyone in the room and I wasn’t confident enough to strike up a conversation with some people in the room.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Acquaintance [noun] – someone who is known but who is not a close friend
Birthday bash [noun] – birthday party
While I was sitting alone, a lady in her mid-30s offered me a drink and I must say that that was so nice of her to break the ice since I really felt awkward at that time for being alone. I politely declined since I’m not into drinking. She was kind of surprised by my response and she decided to sit with me, introduced herself, and started a conversation. She was eager to know the reason why I didn’t like drinking until our conversation veered toward her alcohol addiction in the past. She opened up about her struggle of quitting drinking completely which seriously cost her mental health.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Break the ice [phrase] – do or say something to relieve tension or get a conversation going in a strained situation or when strangers meet
I was all ears listening to her experience. She said that she started drinking heavily at a very young age when her parents got divorced as she couldn’t accept that her parents must go their separate ways. She was emotionally affected as she’s the only child. Both of her parents remarried and she lived all by herself. Her addiction led to depression, anxiety, and mood swings. She took medication and went to a rehabilitation center but to no avail as she just simply returned to her old ways, however, when she found the love of her life, everything changed.
Out of curiosity, I asked what made her change, she confessed to me that she needed love. She said that drinking helped her fill the void in her heart. Alcohol made her happy at least in a couple of hours. Her husband gave her the love that she longed for and supported her to recover from her addiction.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
All ears [phrase] – eager to hear something or listen attentively
Go one’s separate ways [phrase] – end a romantic relationship
I never expected that kind of conversation at all, I was like talking to a very close friend. That made me realize that there’s a huge story behind every person’s addiction or mental health issue and we should never judge them, instead we have to listen to their story and see if we can offer some help.
PART 3
What’s the difference between men and women in terms of expressing their feelings?
Just my own opinion, I think men cannot easily verbalize their feelings compared to women and that’s because of toxic masculinity. Men are perceived not to openly express their feelings, most especially when crying. They have to suppress their emotions or mask their distress and maintain an appearance of hardness, otherwise, they’ll be labeled as effeminate.
Society forgets that men are humans too, they’re capable of showing their feelings as women do, but because of traditional masculinity ideology, a lot of men are trapped and become like robots. I just hope that more men will live like natural human beings who are capable of expressing their true feelings as I think breaking norms makes them a man.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Verbalize [verb] – express one’s ideas or feelings in words
Perceive [verb] – interpret; judge
Suppress [verb] – conceal; restrain
Distress [noun] – great pain; sorrow; anxiety
Effeminate [adj.] – unmanly
Is it difficult for people in your country to express their feelings?
I don’t think so since people in my country are heavily influenced by Western cultures. My fellow countrymen imitate the way Westerners express themselves. As we know most Westerners are expressive about their feelings, which I think is good because you really know what the person’s opinions are, his likes and dislikes, and that helps you understand the personality of the person, as a result, you can be cautious on what you shouldn’t say or do to that certain person.
People in my country are open enough to express their feelings – may it be in romance, politics, or family issues, among others. And that kind of personality that we have makes foreign people enjoy traveling in our country since they can interact with us easily and understand things better.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Fellowman [noun] – a person’s from one’s own country
Cautious [adj.] – careful to avoid problems
Who do you think talks more: children or adults?
That’s a tough question, it’s like comparing apples to oranges. I believe there are children who are born being talkative and there are those who are naturally timid, the same goes for the grown-ups. I suppose people conclude that most children are real chatterboxes in general, simply because children have never-ending questions on their minds, asking adults the whys and the hows of so many things that they see in the world. Their curiosity and limited knowledge of things make them talk and talk.
As for adults, some are really expressive or loquacious because they are gifted with the talent of communicating, or perhaps their experiences in life help them develop their communication skills better than others. So, I cannot decide on which of the two is more talkative since each comes from a different generation, with different experiences, and the level of knowledge.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Timid [adj.] – shy; nervous; without much confidence
The same goes for [phrase] – what I have said about one person or thing is also true to for another person or thing
Chatterbox [noun] – a person who likes to chatter
Why do you think people these days are not as open as those in the past?
The fear of being judged is the main culprit why many people become less and less open to others. We are living in this digital world where people can easily post anything on social media like setting standards on how one should act or how one should look, or worse criticizing others for what they believe in.
Some are petrified because there are those people who are deceitful, close-minded, or easily triggered, that will frown on them. I can really understand why some people decide not to be open to others as it’s their way of saving themselves from harsh criticism.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Culprit [noun] – a fact or situation that is the reason for something bad happening
Petrified [adj.] – frightened; terrified
Deceitful [adj.] – dishonest; untrustworthy
Study the sample answer for the
recent cue card about
A POLITE PERSON THAT YOU KNOW.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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