IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A BEAUTIFUL CITY
Describe a beautiful city
You should say:
- What it is
- Where it is
- How do you know this place
And explain why it is beautiful
A N S W E R
I’ve been to so many places and witnessed the magnificent views of some cities in the world, however, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia is at the top of the list. I know that this is not a well-known city, especially for traditional tourists. This city is simply awesome in three ways, if I summarize my whole experience traveling there last year – the nature is superb, the people are genuine, and the price is ridiculously inexpensive.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Magnificent [adj.] – beautiful; amazing; superb
At the top of the list – priority; the most important
Well-known [adj] – famous
Ridiculously [adv] – surprisingly
TIP
i.) The speaker summarizes his reasons in three ways which are very helpful to be able to develop an organized answer. Because of that, he will be guided accordingly on what he is going to say further.
I had my first ever solo travel last year as a backpacker and decided to visit this not-so-famous country, Mongolia. I admit that I didn’t know a lot about this country but since I wanted to be different from other travelers who usually visit some tourist traps, I made a decision to give this country a shot.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Backpacker [noun] – independent traveler
Tourist trap – a place where too many tourists visit
Give it a shot – to try
On my very first day in that country, while I was on the bus going to my hotel, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the beauty of Ulaanbaatar, which is the capital city. I lost track of time enjoying the views of that city while taking lots of photos from the window of the bus. It’s just jaw-dropping!
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Couldn’t help [phrase] – couldn’t avoid
Mesmerize [verb] – hypnotized; fascinated
Lost track of time [idiom] – not being aware of time
Jaw-dropping [adj] – amazing
On my second day, I was able to meet the local people in the city. Well, the city is not the typical metropolitan that we see in most developed nations wherein people are snobbish or less concerned. Mongolians are very warm especially to tourists perhaps because they don’t see a lot. Though they live in a city, I feel like their life is not pressured, their faces are really happy and they are kind. Another thing that makes me fall in love with that city is it is really cheap! I live here in New York and everything is incredibly expensive. House, food, leisure activities, you name it! I actually had a luxurious life while traveling there which is really impossible for me to experience on American soil.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
You name it [expression] – whatever you can think
Luxury [adj] – richness
American soil – American land
Ulaanbaatar is the city that helps me realize so many things in my life and the memories I had are valuable treasures I have.
TIP
The last part is a reflection on why this city is beautiful and how it impacts the life of the speaker. It is the best way to end a story with a conclusive statement.
PART 3
Why do you think people decide to live in big cities?
In my opinion, a huge number of people choose to reside in metropolitan areas simply because almost everything that they need is available there. People nowadays want convenience in order to live a more fulfilling life.
For instance, the majority of decent or well-paid jobs are mostly obtainable only in the metropolis, as we know it is indisputable that people want to secure a better job. In addition, establishments such as hospitals, malls, schools, and some shops are accessible anytime, not to mention the excellent transportation system which is almost available 24/7. So basically, the dream of having a convenient life makes people decide to settle in major cities.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Reside [verb] – live
Metropolitan [adj.] – refers to metropolis; large city; capital
Fulfilling [adj] – satisfying
Obtainable [adj.] – accessible; realizable
Not to mention [phrase] – in addition to
24/7 [adverb] – 2 hours a day, seven days a week
TIP
Giving an example will help you develop a long answer, however, make sure that your example supports your main idea.
What kinds of problems are common in big cities?
I have to say that there are several challenges that people face in major cities, however, I just want to talk about the important ones that I believe need attention from the government.
First, is the skyrocketing cost of housing. Prices of houses or apartments are incredibly expensive which makes city dwellers suffer. As a result, many live in small space apartments. In addition, air pollution is prevalent, because of numerous cars and factories that emit carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, breathing fresh air is near to impossible.
Also, for some cities, peace and order is an issue since crimes such as robbery, murder, gang war and the like are common. I know there are more problems but those things I have just said are the most serious ones.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Skyrocket [verb] – increase
Incredibly [adverb] – extremely
Dwellers [noun] – occupants; residents
Numerous [adj] – many
Emit [verb] – produce; discharge
Near to impossible – almost impossible
TIP
We can never talk about the many problems of cities so just talk about the most important ones. As stated in the introduction, the speaker acknowledges the many problems but only talks about the significant ones. In the conclusive statement, it is just a repeat of the introduction but it is expressed in a different way.
What measures the government should take to improve the situation in cities?
Well considering the problems that I have just said, in terms of high-priced houses, the government should set a price cap regulation which is fair enough between seller and buyer.
With regard to air pollution, I believe the government can sanction some factories by making them pay enormous fines if the environmental policies are not adhered to, as for cars, a code system must be implemented to reduce the number of cars running daily. For instance, a car bearing an odd number as the last digit on a plate number is only allowed to run for three weekdays and those cars with an even number on the last digit are permitted for two weekdays. In that way, traffic and pollution are being minimized.
Lastly, in relation to crimes, the visibility of police authorities is needed to prevent people from committing crimes. With these measures, I believe major cities will be a more comfortable place to live in.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
High-priced [adj.] – expensive
Price cap regulation [noun] – a limit
Sanction [noun] – punishment; penalty
Adhere [verb] – follow; obey
Bear [verb] – carry; assign
TIP
To make the answer coherent, the speaker uses transitioning devices such as ‘in terms of’, ‘with regard to’, and ‘in relation to’ to properly move on to talking about another issue.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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