IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card
Describe a time when you observed stars.
You should say:
When you observed the stars?
Where and with whom you went with?
What you observed?
And explain how you felt when you saw the stars.
Note: You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
Model Answer 1:
Introduction:
Well, stars captivate almost everyone, and their presence at night time along with the moon is like stars since childhood; and I can never forget the very first experience when my father introduced me to stars.
Needless to say, being a child, I often read about stars in my school books and had a great curiosity to know more about them.
When you observed the stars? and Where and with whom you went with?
One evening, after having dinner, I was enjoying a walk with my father, and during this time, he made me understand why there are stars in the sky.
He told me that just like planet Earth these stars are integral to the universe. Since these are too far from us, that’s why they are too far, that’s why they looked too small and because they have a lot of energy, that’s why they shine.
He said, in my school books, I will also read about the groups and the constellations, and observing these can really help me in improving my power of imagination and Creativity.
What did you observe?
In addition, he also showed me the brightest star, the pole star, and he even told me that in an earlier time, the sailors often make use of the pole star for navigation.
In fact, in those days, we did not have an air conditioner, and we used to sleep on the terrace, and during this time, my father got me into the habit of counting stars to get a good sleep.
Last but not least, I learned about shooting stars from my father as well, which is nothing but debris. Some superstitious people believe observing shooting stars can help to fulfill wishes.
And explain how you felt when you saw the stars. and Conclusion:
I am grateful to my father for giving me such an interesting lesson which also developed my interest in the study of the universe, and this was the experience that I had of observing stars.
Model Answer 2:
Introduction:
Stars are very important because they have helped people find their way around the globe. When it got dark, these stars illuminated the sky and gave people light. Stars are also important because they create life on Earth.
The most important is the sun. Because without the sun, life would not exist on earth. The earth is just a rock with ice. Today, I would like to talk about a time when observed stars.
When you observed the stars? And Where and with whom you went with?
I live in the city, but my uncle and grandparents are living in a village. Nowadays, I am very busy with my studies, but when I studied in school I always went to my village to spend summer vacations.
There is a big house and an open terrace. At night we all (uncle, aunt, cousins and grandparents) used to sleep on the terrace.At that time. We used to bet with each other on who would count more stars.
My uncle always says that counting stars are the best way to divert the mind from tensions. This helps us to feel light and fresh.
What you observed?
I mostly observed constellations (a group of stars). The shape seems to form a picture. Here are four constellations.
I was always hardly found only two. One was Scorpius(is one of the brightest constellations in the sky.), and another was the big dipper.
Explain how you felt when you saw the stars?
I always felt very relaxed while counting stars as I used to forget my all study tension because my focus was only on the bet that I used to have with my cousins.
Even now, when I am fed up with my daily task, I go to the terrace, sit alone and start to count stars.
Model Answer 3:
Introduction:
- I like to look at the sky at night and enjoy the twinkling stars.
- I have been doing that since my childhood.
When you observed the stars?
- Here I would like to talk about a time, I remember well, when I observed the stars in a very interesting way.
- Last year, it was my cousin’s wedding in September.
Where and with whom you went with?
- We had so many guests, that my cousins and I had to sleep on the terrace.
- It was quite pleasant outside and we were happy with the arrangements of sleeping outside.
- After dinner, we all carried our beddings upstairs and laid our beds.
What you observed?
- It was a clear moonlit night and we could see the stars twinkling brightly.
- We started giving shapes to the star patterns.
- It was great fun.
- My cousin, Rubina is 13 years old and had come from America. She told us that her geography teacher had told her a lot about constellations and the sun and the planets.
- She told us in a very interesting way what the stars can teach us.
- We were very impressed by the way things were taught in her school in America.
And explain how you felt when you saw the stars.
- All I remember was mugging up chapters from my geography book to pass the exams.
- We gazed at the stars and enjoyed the twinkling and tried to figure out some constellations.
- She also told me the names of a few constellations, but unfortunately, I don’t remember them now, as it is more than one year when she told me about them.
- There are many mythological stories related to stars.
- Once, my friend in school told me that when a person dies, he becomes a star.
- Many people who have lost their near and dear ones look at the stars to find them.
Conclusion:
- So this was the time when I admired the stars, that I remember well.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 : Follow up Questions
Here some examples of follow up questions that you may asked during your speaking part 3 by examiner related to cue card “Describe a time when you observed stars”.
Q1. Why do people like to study the sky?
People like to study the sky to notice the changes in weather; some see it as an inspiration for arts like painting, photography, etc. It is also important to study about sky and space to understand that we are a part of a very large universe, which ignites our curiosity about what’s beyond the sky. Some people study it, as they believe that planetary movements affect a person’s fate.
Q2. Do you know any story related to planets?
I don’t remember any one story, but I used to read the comics series Chacha Chaudhary, in which there is a giant named ‘Sabu’ who visits Earth from Jupiter and decides to stay back with Chacha Chaudhary, after he tastes the food on Earth. There are also many movies made about superheroes from other planets, like PK, Spiderman.
Q3. Do you think children should be told planet stories to improve their imagination?
Yes, definitely. It is very important that children be told stories about other planets. It most certainly helps improve their creativity and imagination, because of the curiosity it ignites/creates in their minds. Some children also end up taking it up as a career path, e.g. astronauts, space research scientists, rocket engineers, etc.
Q4. Would children be benefited from watching stars?
Yes, children would be benefitted from watching stars. They become curious about the universe and outer space, which help increase their creativity and also, might help them chose it as a career path in the future.
Q5. Would you like to watch movies on planets?
Yes, I like to watch movies about other planets and outer space. In fact, I recently watched one such movie, PK, where an alien comes from another planet to Earth. It is a very good and inspirational movie, where this alien character has been used very nicely to portray all the blind superstitions we follow. This movie was a blockbuster/super-hit.
Q6. Did you like to watch the sky when you were young?
Yes, I liked to watch the sky when I was young. I remember that during summer vacations, we used to visit our farmhouse and we used to sleep outside, in the open. At that time I did not know anything about constellations, but we used to find the night sky with the twinkling stars very fascinating and beautiful.
Credits
Image : Photo by Denis Degioanni on Unsplash