Cue Card Sample
Describe a situation that made you feel uncomfortable - Cue Card # 705
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
Describe a situation that made you feel uncomfortable.
You should say:
- when it was
- what made you feel uncomfortable
- what you did then
and explain how you felt about it.
[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:
The experience of an uncomfortable situation is something we all try to forget most of the time, and at times, we regret the whole situation. One such event that I can still recall happened a few years ago when I was travelling to (...say a country name which is not yours...). I will share my experience with you.
I planned a holiday tour to (...say the country name again...) with two of my classmates, and we thought the holiday and its excitement would refresh us from a long and tiring semester. As planned, we took our flight and reached the destination airport safely. However, the immigration checkpoint queue was unusually long, and at least 50 people were ahead of us in the line. We had to wait for more than an hour before I could proceed to the counter. To my dismay, just after I handed over my passport, the officer in charge asked me to go to the immigration clearance room located on a different floor! After I informed him that I was travelling with two of my friends, he got angry and asked me to leave the counter! That was pretty harsh and unexpected from someone taking care of such a delicate matter like immigration clearance.
I had to yield to his whimsical decision and talk to another immigration officer who for more than 20 minutes asked me different questions and literally tried to grill me in an embarrassing situation. Some of these questions were pretty reasonable and valid, but a few of them were disgusting and completely out of context.
I felt as if I was being punished for something I never did, and at a point, I felt like saying to the immigration personnel that "thank you for your service but I no longer wish to travel to your country". I was that mad and frustrated. But in the end, he cleared all of us and apologized to us sarcastically (I am saying sarcastically because I felt he did not mean it).
We, at last, entered the country and despite an initial shock, the whole experience was pretty awesome. We had an excellent and reinvigorating holiday. I just wished the frustrating experience at the immigration checkpoint did not occur.
Sample Answer 2:
I am usually a level-headed person and not the one to easily feel uncomfortable. And, I am saying this about not feeling uncomfortable easily because I usually have some valid excuses or ways to get out of any uncomfortable situation most of the time. But, unfortunately, that’s not to happen when I couldn’t return a book to my university library.
Well, the story goes like this - when I was a university student about 4 years ago, I used to borrow a lot of books from my university library and returned them all on time after reading them. But, once I borrowed a very interesting book, and it was so interesting that I had to read it at least half-a-dozen times! So, I kept extending the return date for this book again and again and kept it reading until suddenly I lost it one day.
I think I lost the book because I carried it with me to all kinds of places. After all, I wanted to utilize my free time in reading this book, but little did I know that one day I would leave that book by mistake either at one of those places, I visited, or on a bus while visiting those places.
Anyway, finally, the time arrived for me to return that book to my university library except, of course, I didn’t have any book to return. So, seeing no way out, I described what had exactly happened to the librarian, but as soon as I finished telling the incident to that librarian gentleman, he started to yell at me in a loud voice, telling me how irresponsible I really was. However, I just kept quiet as long as he yelled at me, knowing that it was my fault.
Needless to say, I felt very awkward and uncomfortable in that situation even though, I must say that I wasn’t exactly expecting that kind of harsh reaction from that librarian. But, then I told to myself that I deserved that kind of tough talk and behaviour to some extent as I wasn’t careful enough to keep that book safe.
Model Answer 3:
I appreciate the opportunity to discuss a situation that made me feel uncomfortable even though it evokes a memory that is not so pleasant. I have always believed that it's crucial to reflect on such experiences as they often provide valuable insights into our emotions and reactions in different circumstances. So here goes the story.
The incident occurred during my recent trip to Barcelona, Spain, when I was exploring the souvenir shops in the bustling streets of the city. It was a sunny afternoon, and the streets were filled with tourists and locals alike, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.
As I browsed through the colourful array of trinkets and gifts in one of the quaint souvenir shops, I accidentally knocked over a delicate ceramic figurine displayed on a crowded shelf. The figurine slipped from my grasp and shattered into pieces on the tiled floor. The sudden crash drew the attention of other shoppers and the store staff, making me feel extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed.
Instantly realizing what had happened, I apologized profusely to the shopkeeper and offered to pay for the damaged item. The shopkeeper reassured me that accidents happen and kindly declined my offer, but the awkwardness of the situation lingered as I hastily exited the shop, feeling flustered and self-conscious.
Reflecting on the incident later, I felt a mix of embarrassment and regret for being careless and causing inconvenience to the shopkeeper. While accidents are unavoidable at times, the discomfort of being the centre of attention in a public setting made me more mindful of my surroundings and actions in similar situations. Overall, it served as a valuable lesson in humility and accountability, reminding me to handle delicate items with greater care and awareness in the future.
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