Cue Card Sample
IELTS Cue Card Sample 80 - Describe a nation you know well
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
Describe a nation (not your own) that you know well.
You should say:
- which nation it is
- how you learned about this nation
- why you are interested in this nation
and explain what you like most about this nation.
Model Answer 1:
In this age of information and technology, it is almost impossible not to know about a nation or a country as famous and important as German. I am glad that I know about this country well enough to talk a thing or two about it.
Well, it is not really necessary to introduce German anew. I started to learn about this great nation right after starting high school when I was studying Geography. Later on, I came to know a lot about it by reading newspapers, books, travel journals and watching TV programmes.
From what I have learnt so far about this great country, I have no hesitation to suggest that German is one of the very few versatile countries among the league of nations, boasting over two millennia of history, which, for good and bad, shaped the world as we know it today. Especially, its tremendous impact in shaping the history of the world for the last century, after forcing two devastating world wars on the world, just can’t be denied.
German is also a very beautiful country, and it has a deep-rooted and fascinating culture, which expresses itself in the architecture, in the music, in the literature, in the philosophy, in ways of thinking about the world and so on. In fact, sometimes, I am even tempted to think that there is actually no greater culture than the German one. German is also the largest economy in Europe.
Anyway, I am interested in this country for a number of reasons, but the main reasons are its ingenuity and its ability to excel at many things, such as automobiles, electric appliances, and of course, efficiency.
However, what I like most about German is that I think German is a great role model for other nations, especially, in its stunning economic success after the destruction of the 2nd world war. I also like the fact it has emerged as one of the most deeply rooted and stable democracies on the planet. Finally, I also like how this great nation has confronted the darkest aspects of its past – 2nd world war, by some astonishingly thorough, but remorseless soul-searching.
Model Answer 2:
I love learning about different nations and cultures from around the world because it allows me to have a greater understanding of the world and its affairs. Anyway, while I like all the nations and countries in their own merits, today I would like to talk about a nation which, I think, I know pretty well.
The name of this nation is “Switzerland”. Anyway, Switzerland, officially known as the Swiss Confederation, situated in the confluence of western, central, and southern Europe. It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons (meaning, member states of the Swiss Confederation) with federal authorities seated in Bern.
Switzerland also happens to be one of those few countries which are landlocked. It has an area of about 15,940 square miles and this is probably the country in the world which has 4 different official languages, including German, French, Italian, and Romansh. By the way, I fell in love with this beautiful country when I first came to learn about it in my high school from the geography class. After that, I also have learned a great deal about this country by reading travel guides and watching travel channels.
I am interested in Switzerland not only because it is arguably one of the most beautiful and safest countries in the world, but also because of its extraordinary economic and political stability due to its neutral behaviour when it comes to international conflicts and power politics.
Anyway, I like this nation because, for centuries, it has kept away from all sorts of international conflicts in a very clever and diplomatic manner. I also like Switzerland because of its stunning natural beauties. Besides, I like this great nation also because even though it has so many ethnic groups from all the neighbouring countries, it has never witnessed any racial, political or ethnic tensions, which makes a nation truly civilized. Finally, I also love this great nation because of their creativity, especially, in offering the world the best and most famous watches as well as the most delicious chocolates. All in all, Switzerland is a truly unique nation in all aspects.
Sample Answer 3:
I would like to talk about the Japanese nation that has a rich culture and unique traditions. Japan is an East Asian country and Japanese is their primary and main language. Their language is written with a combination of three scripts which were originated mostly from Chinese characters.
The Japanese adhere to no single religion and they have a complex religion system which is a combination of Shinto and Japanese Buddhism. They enjoy religious freedom and religion like Christianity, Islam and Hinduism also exist there. They have around 127 million and the total size of the country is around 377,944 km².
Their main foods are Japanese rice, noodles, soups, fishes, vegetables, tofu etc. Japanese culture has evolved greatly compared to the past and their cultures are influences from North America, Asia and Europe. Elementary and middle school education from 6 to 15 years is compulsory in Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan and has a higher number of population than any other city. Japan has the longest overall life expectancy in the world. Japanese are very advanced in scientific research and the third-largest country in the world in regards to their budget for research and development. They are the 2nd largest automobiles producer in the world and exports electronics, machine tools, motor vehicles, steel, processed foods and textiles.
In World War ii, they fought in favour of Germany and 2 cities of Japan were attached by atom bombs. They have one of the largest military budgets in the world and they maintain a close military and economic relationship with the United States.
Japan has the constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is limited and the Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government and head of Cabinet who appoints the ministers of the states. They have a reach history and diversity of culture and distinctive tradition and customs.
Tips on this Cue Card Topic:
To talk about this cue card topic, you should first determine the nation you would be describing. After you make up your mind about a particular nation, try giving the following details about it:
- The name of the nation.
- The country they live in.
- If this is a nation from the past, specifically mention it.
- Give some details about the famous and distinctive achievement and characteristics of this nation.
Now mention that you have learned about this nation from history books, magazines, TV programs, news channels, the Internet and from your teachers.
Your interests for this nation should be focused on this nation’s greatest achievements and advancements. Do some Googling if required to learn about a nation. Mention the unique characteristics of this nation, their culture, education and political system and mention why you specifically think that this is an interesting and noteworthy nation.
You can talk about a nation from the present era or alternatively you can choose a nation from the past. In either case, the examiner would be interested in listening to the prominent achievements and unique things about this nation and the reasons why you are interested in this nation.
Each nation has some exclusive marks in history and even the nations of the present epoch are different from each other in many perspectives (be it a cultural or a scientific advancement). So for the final question ‘and explain what you like most about it’ you should be able to define and mention the most important thing about the nation you pick to talk about.
This cue card prohibits you to talk about your own nation and that’s why you should NOT talk about your own nation in any way.
Your ability to talk about this cue card topic would also make you comfortable to talk about the following topics:
1. Describe a country you have visited.
2. Describe a nation from the past era.
3. Describe a unique feature of a nation.
4. Describe a cultural program you know about.
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