Cue Cards Samples with band 8 answers
When you used your smartphone to do something important - Cue Card # 830
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand over to you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]
Describe a time when you used your smartphone to do something important.
You should say:
- when it was
- why it was important
- what you did
and explain how you felt about the experience.
[Instruction: 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.]
[Examiner: All right? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?]
Model Answer 1:
Introduction:
Nowadays, smartphones are ubiquitous, meaning they are everywhere, and you can hardly find a person without a smartphone. And they have become so vastly popular because of their versatile use and utilities. Sometimes they are life-savers, and for this topic, I will share one of my experiences when a smartphone saved my day!
When it was:
It was about four or five months ago, during a hot summer day when I was on vacation in a city where I had been for the first time in my life. At around 2:00 pm, when the sun was shining mercilessly and the temperature was much higher than usual, I found that I was lost in a crowded area and I had no clue how to get back to my hotel! It would not have been much of a problem if the locals could speak English or I could speak their language. But then I remembered I have "Google Maps" and at least 50 GB of mobile data on my smartphone.
Why it was important:
I was already tired as I walked for at least an hour from place to place to convert my currency and buy some important items. When I realised that I was lost in this unknown city, it was equally distressing and tiring. So I turned to my smartphone to rescue me!
What you did:
As soon as I opened the "Google Maps" application and entered the name of the hotel where I had checked in earlier, it was crystal clear that I could walk for 15 minutes or take a taxi to reach my hotel. I decided to walk and the application on my smartphone constantly helped me navigate through roads and streets to get back to my hotel. When I reached the hotel, it was such a relief and all I could think about was a cold shower and a power nap.
And explain how you felt about the experience:
Getting lost is not a pleasant experience, especially in a city where I am a total stranger and don't speak the language to ask people for directions. So when my smartphone helped me get back to my hotel without any trouble, I was once again glad to live in an era when those little yet powerful devices make our life a lot easier than ever.
Model Answer 2:
Thank you very much for this interesting topic. I'd also like to thank you for the time you have allowed me to talk about it. Well, a particularly memorable instance when my smartphone proved absolutely crucial was about six months ago. I was finalizing a rather significant freelance project with a client based overseas, and the deadline was rapidly approaching. I needed to submit the final drafts by the end of their business day, which, due to the time difference, was just a few hours away for me.
The importance lay in the fact that this project was a major milestone for my portfolio and held the potential for future collaborations with this client. I had poured a considerable amount of time and effort into it, and missing the deadline was simply not an option. Adding to the pressure, my primary laptop, where all the final files were stored, unexpectedly encountered a critical software error that morning and became completely unresponsive. Panic started to set in as I realised the rapidly dwindling time.
In that moment of crisis, my smartphone became my lifeline. I immediately used its hotspot function to connect my backup tablet to the internet. Thankfully, I had the foresight to store a recent backup of the project files on a cloud storage service. Using a file management app on my tablet, accessed via my phone's internet connection, I was able to download the latest version of the documents. The screen was smaller and less convenient than my laptop, but it was functional. I meticulously reviewed the files one last time, making a few minor edits using a document editing app on the tablet, again relying on the stable internet connection provided by my smartphone. Finally, I used the email app on my tablet, connected through my phone, to send the final submission to the client just minutes before their deadline.
The experience was a rollercoaster of emotions. Initially, there was sheer panic and frustration at the technical malfunction. However, the seamless connectivity and the range of functionalities offered by my smartphone brought an immense sense of relief and empowerment. I felt incredibly grateful for this small yet powerful device that allowed me to navigate a potentially disastrous situation successfully.
Model Answer 3:
Like many in today’s world, I am also a proud owner of a smartphone. It is nothing very fancy or expensive, but it still helps me in doing many necessary and important things every now and then, just like it did about a couple of years ago.
Of course, it was not so much of an important thing for me, as it was for one of my younger cousins. Back then, my cousin and his family didn’t really own any smartphone, computer or credit card because they all were more of an “old school” people, with almost no or very little fascination with modern technology. So, when my cousin needed to buy a train ticket on an urgent basis to travel to our capital city in order to attend an important interview for his first job, he just thought that I was probably the best person to help him because I had all the tools to help him.
So, I just accessed my smartphone at home without asking him any questions and bought him a ticket, immediately after receiving his call, before they all were sold out. And, yes, I got rid of my old desktop at home after buying my smartphone and a new laptop computer, but I used my smartphone more often because I could pretty much do all the things, a computer could do, on my smartphone.
By the way, attending that interview was important for my cousin because he was desperately looking for a job, and he wasn’t just getting that many invitations for an interview, which made him a bit worried, to say the least. And, needless to say, attending an interview would certainly alleviate some of his worries.
In the end, I actually felt so glad that I could actually help my poor cousin in time of his need, not only because I had managed to help him in attending his interview on time, but also because he could actually trust me in getting things done for him. Besides, I also felt that technology, like smartphones and other things, should be made available and easy for everybody so that they can extract maximum benefits from them.
Sample Answer 4:
I clearly remember a time when I used my smartphone to do something really important. It was during my final year in college when I was about to present my thesis in front of my professors and classmates when I had to use my smartphone to do this important thing. I will share this event with you. But before I go into the details, I would like to thank you for this nice topic.
The day before my presentation, my laptop broke down, and I had to find a way to transfer my PowerPoint presentation to my phone so that I could deliver it the next day.
It was essential for me to have my presentation on my phone because I didn't want to disappoint my professors and classmates. After a bit of research, I found an app that could convert my PowerPoint presentation to a PDF file, which I could easily transfer to my phone. It was the only viable solution for me, and I was incredibly relieved to find it.
I spent several hours converting my presentation to a PDF file and then transferring it to my phone. It was a tedious process, but it was worth it because I was able to present my thesis successfully the next day.
Looking back at this experience, I felt proud of myself for being able to find a solution and use my smartphone to solve the problem. It taught me the importance of being resourceful and not giving up in times of crisis. It also made me appreciate how smartphones have become an essential tool in our daily lives, especially in situations where we need to access information quickly and efficiently.
Idea generation for this Candidate task card / Cue card topic:
Smartphones are essential in modern life and often help us in significant situations. Below are some thoughtful ideas that you can use to answer this cue card. Each idea highlights the timing, the reason the task was important, what you did with the smartphone, and how you felt about the experience.
1. Booking an emergency doctor’s appointment:
A few months ago, I used my smartphone to book an urgent appointment for my father who was feeling unwell. I used a health app to find the nearest clinic and secured a same-day slot. I felt relieved and proud for acting quickly in a tense situation.
2. Navigating with Google Maps during a job interview day:
Last year, I had a job interview in a new part of the city. My smartphone's GPS helped me navigate and arrive on time. Without it, I might have gotten lost. I felt grateful and amazed at how reliable technology has become.
3. Completing a university assignment using a mobile app:
Once my laptop broke down the night before an assignment deadline. I used my smartphone to access Google Docs and complete the assignment on time. The small screen was challenging, but I felt resourceful and determined to meet the deadline.
4. Making an online payment to avoid service disconnection:
My electricity bill payment had slipped my mind, and I received a reminder. I immediately paid it through a banking app on my phone. It was important to avoid disconnection, and I felt relieved after handling it within minutes.
5. Helping someone by translating a conversation:
While travelling, I met a tourist who needed help buying a train ticket but didn’t speak the local language. I used my phone’s translation app to assist him. It was a small act, but I felt really happy to help a stranger using technology.
6. Scanning and emailing important documents:
I once had to urgently send scanned documents to a government office. I used my smartphone camera and a scanning app to digitize and email the files. It saved me a trip to a cyber café, and I felt satisfied at how efficient it was.
7. Attending a virtual meeting while travelling:
During a train journey, I was unexpectedly invited to a short-notice work meeting. I joined the Zoom call using my smartphone and contributed as needed. It was important to maintain professionalism, and I felt accomplished afterwards.
8. Booking a last-minute flight:
I needed to fly home due to a family emergency. I used my smartphone to search and book the fastest available flight. This fast action meant I could be with my family at the right time, and I was deeply thankful for the ease smartphones offer.
Vocabulary for this Candidate task card / Cue card topic:
When describing a time you used your smartphone for something important, using vocabulary that highlights the urgency, the functionality of the phone, and your feelings about the outcome can create a clear and impactful response. Here are some useful words and phrases with example sentences:
Indispensable tool – Something absolutely necessary or essential.
Example: On that occasion, my smartphone proved to be an indispensable tool.
Time-sensitive matter – Something that needed to be dealt with urgently.
Example: It was a time-sensitive matter that required immediate action.
Real-time updates – Information that is provided immediately as it happens.
Example: The app provided real-time updates, which were vital.
Seamlessly connected – Connected smoothly and without interruption.
Example: My smartphone kept me seamlessly connected throughout the process.
Efficiently managed – Handled effectively and without wasting time or effort.
Example: I was able to efficiently manage the situation using my phone.
Remotely accessed – Accessed from a distance, not physically present.
Example: I remotely accessed important documents on my phone.
Stayed informed – Kept up-to-date with the latest news or developments.
Example: My smartphone helped me stay informed about the rapidly changing situation.
Sense of empowerment – A feeling of being in control and capable.
Example: I felt a sense of empowerment being able to resolve it using my phone.
Relieved and grateful – Feeling happy because a worry has been removed and thankful for the help.
Example: I was incredibly relieved and grateful for the capabilities of my smartphone.
Indispensable resource – A very useful and necessary thing to have.
Example: My smartphone has become an indispensable resource in my daily life.
Technological convenience – The ease and usefulness provided by technology.
Example: It highlighted the sheer technological convenience we now have at our fingertips.
If you prepare for the topic "Describe a time when you used your smartphone to do something important", you should be able to talk about the following topics as well:
1) Describe a piece of modern technology that you own.
2) Describe a time when you started using a new technological device.
3) Describe an application that you use on your smartphone.
4) Describe a time when you were lost.
5) Describe something that you bought online.
6) Describe a time when you helped someone.
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