Cue Card Sample

IELTS Cue Card # 190 - Describe an important event in global history

IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe an important event in global history.

You should say:

  • when it happened
  • what the event was
  • what effect you think this event had

 and explain why it is an important event in world history.


 

Model Answer 1:
Realistically speaking, each and every event, be it small or big, affects the course of history in some subtle manners, and that’s probably why most of them go unnoticed. But, then, there are some events, we consider important, which are noticed by the entire world because of their sweeping effects on global history as well as our life. Today, I would like to discuss one such important event that completely changed our world.

The important event, I am talking about, is the “fall of the Berlin wall”. Even though, it happened a long time ago, when I still was a young boy, in 1989, I can still remember the day vividly because I was actually watching the event live on our television. By the way, the Berlin wall was erected in 1961 by the then communist government of East Germany in order to stop the fleeing of its citizens to West Germany. This Berlin wall divided families who found themselves unable to visit each other. Many East Berliners were cut off from their jobs while the West Berliners kept demonstrating against the wall. This wall didn’t just divide the Berliners physically but also ideologically since the countries, divided by the wall, represented completely two different types of government systems. Even though nobody was really expecting such an unexpected and dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall, it had very significant effects in reshaping the international relations and the geopolitics of all the countries in the world.

Anyway, it is an important event in the history of the world, primarily because it helped ease the tensions and cold war between the two blocks of the world: one was led by the communist Soviet Union while the other block was led by the leaders of the free world. The event also led the way in reducing the arms race which had cost both the countries (the USA and the USSR) and their supporting nations billions of dollars. Essentially, this event made the whole world much less dangerous and more peaceful for living.


 

Sample Answer 2:
Second World War is undeniably an important event in global history that has affected most countries in the world. It is also known as World War II and was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 till 1945. It was the most widespread war in world history.

Almost 30 countries were directly involved in this war dividing into two major power called "Allies" and "Axis". It is estimated that more than 100 million people were involved in this war. This devastating war caused 50 to 85 million fatalities and became the deadliest conflict in human history.

The war started on September the first, 1939 with the event when Germany invaded Poland. Just after 2 days, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Many political reasons led to World War II, but the most prominent reason was when Hitler invaded Poland, the conflict arose. United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Greece etc. were the main power of the Allies part while Germany, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria were the central power of the Axis.

This war involved Europe, Asia, Africa, Russia and most of the world, and because of the war, the global economy collapsed, industrialisation fell, a great number of people died, and several global political aspects changed. Besides, as an effect of the war, many nations had to reform their country in the coming days and some even had to start building their infrastructure and economy anew.

Moreover, nuclear bombs were used in this war and both parties invented and improved their arsenal and weapons. Most of the European countries had to suffer a severe economic crisis in the aftermath of the war, the United Kingdom had to abandon many of its colonial countries, and a new political alliance had to form among nations. The importance of this war, in terms of global politics, was huge.

This is, in my opinion, is one of the most prominent events in human history that have shaped the world in one way or another. The world today we see could have been quite different, politically and geographically, if the war did not take place or produced a different result. No other event in history has affected the world as much as this war did.


 

Similar Cue Card Topics

Your ability to talk about this Cue Card Topic would enable you to talk about the following Cue Card Topics as well:

  1. Describe an important day from history.
  2. Describe a celebration in your country.
  3. Describe a national day in your country.
  4. Describe an event that people in your country celebrate.
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.42 (6 Votes)

Rebecca
You would never be asked to speak about a question like this in part 2 because you did not personally experience it.