Cue Card Sample
When you got stuck in a traffic jam - Cue Card # 824
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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 got stuck in a traffic jam.
You should say:
- when it was
- where you were going
- how long you had to wait
and explain how you felt about this.
[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:
Living in a busy city and expecting it to be traffic-free is very much like jumping in a river during a very cold winter and expecting its water not to feel cold. But, given the choice, I would probably be more willing to jump in a cold river in the cold winter, but I just wouldn’t want to get stuck in a traffic jam, especially, when I am in a hurry to do something important. But luck is not always in our favour!
Now, talking about the cold winter, it was during this cold weather, about a couple of months ago, that I got stuck in a traffic jam when I was going to pick up my cousin from a domestic airport. Of course, the weather was normal then for that time of the year except, of course, there was some fog in the air.
But, after driving about 20 minutes or so, at a speed of 60 plus kilometres per hour, I was suddenly forced to reduce my speed to almost 10 kilometres, apparently because the traffic ahead of me had slowed down significantly. Little later, my car couldn’t move any further because a long line of cars in front of me had almost stopped moving, and the reason was that there was almost no or very little visibility on the road because of very dense fog. Now, I am still not too sure as to what really caused such a bad fog condition, but I had to wait almost 30 minutes in that traffic jam before starting to move faster.
Anyway, when I got stuck in that traffic, I felt both frustrated and panicky because I just didn’t know how long exactly I would need to wait in that traffic jam before arriving at the airport. Besides, I felt a bit angry with myself because I didn’t care to keep a bit more extra time in my hand to arrive at the airport in time in case I was to get caught in this kind of bad traffic situation. But finally, I could receive my cousin from the airport without much trouble and delay.
Sample Answer 2:
Introduction:
Traffic congestion is a common issue that can happen to anyone on the road. I remember a particular instance when I got stuck in a traffic jam, and it was quite an unpleasant experience. This topic reminds me of the day, and here I'll share my experience of that day when I got stuck in bad traffic.
When it was and where you were going:
It happened a few years ago when I was travelling from my hometown to the nearest city for an important job interview. I had an early morning appointment and left home early to make sure that I arrived on time. The city was around 40 kilometers away from my hometown, and I had to drive on a major highway to get there.
How long you had to wait:
I was about halfway there when I encountered a massive traffic jam. Cars were bumper-to-bumper, and there seemed to be no end in sight. I checked the map on my phone, and it showed that there was an accident up ahead, which was causing the delay. I was stuck in the traffic for almost an hour, which was frustrating because I knew that I was going to be late for the interview.
And explain how you felt about this:
I remember feeling anxious and helpless during the traffic jam. I had done everything right to prepare for the interview, and it seemed that the universe was conspiring against me! I was worried that I would arrive late and that it would reflect poorly on me as a candidate. I tried to remain calm and focused, but it was challenging given the circumstances. The worst part was not knowing how long the traffic jam would last and if I would be able to make it to the interview on time. Eventually, the traffic cleared up, and I made it to the interview with a few minutes to spare. The experience taught me to be prepared for unexpected events, such as traffic congestion, and to always leave a buffer for potential delays.
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