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

Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.

You should say:

• what you do
• where you do it
• who you do it with

and explain why you think that doing this is healthy.

Model Answer 1:
Like everybody else, I like to stay healthy while also enjoying life at the same time. But, the problem is we can’t really enjoy life enough unless we also enjoy doing something healthy from time to time. Of course, different people enjoy doing different kinds of healthy activities, but as far as I am concerned, it is swimming.

I enjoy swimming. In fact, swimming was one of my most favourite hobbies when I was growing up as a child as I would hardly let any day pass by during the summertime without swimming, whether I was swimming in a lake or a big river. Besides, one of the greatest advantages of living in the countryside (yes, I grew up in the countryside until I started attending high school) of my country is that it almost certainly would have some natural lakes or rivers to invite those who would like to swim.

Of course, the difference is that when I was growing up as a child, I used to enjoy swimming just for the fun of it, but today, I do swimming because it helps me remain healthy. Besides, these days, I swim mostly in a local swimming pool as the city, in which I live now, doesn’t have many natural lakes, rivers or any ocean where I would be able to enjoy this activity better. Anyway, I enjoy this healthy activity with a bunch of other guys (they are not related to me in any respect), and I do this every weekend if not more. By the way, I am trying to form a swimming club in my city in order to make swimming more of a fun activity rather than considering it as only a healthy activity.

Anyway, I think that swimming is a healthy activity because it forces each and every part of our bodies to engage in perfect sync with each other in order to keep us floating in the water. Besides, it also helps me relax after a long week of work by allowing me to forget about the worries of my daily life for a while.

Model Answer 2:

Introduction:
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial for a happy and prosperous life. Engaging in healthy activities helps us to remain fit and energetic. One such healthy activity that I enjoy doing is cycling, and for this topic, I will talk about it here.

What you do:
I enjoy cycling, which is not only a form of exercise but also a mode of transportation. Cycling helps me to burn calories and stay fit. I usually cycle for around 30-45 minutes every day, which helps me to stay active and energetic throughout the day.

Where you do it:
I usually cycle in a park near my house, which is a perfect place to cycle with its clean and green environment. The park has a separate track for cyclists, which ensures my safety and allows me to cycle without any disturbance.

Who you do it with: 
I mostly cycle alone as it helps me to clear my mind and gives me some personal time. However, sometimes I also cycle with my friends, which makes the activity more enjoyable.

And explain why you think that doing this is healthy:
Cycling is a healthy activity that helps to strengthen my leg muscles and improve my cardiovascular health. It also helps me reduce stress and anxiety, which is a major concern in today's fast-paced life. Engaging in cycling regularly has improved my overall well-being and has made me more active and enthusiastic. 

Moreover, cycling is an eco-friendly way of commuting, which helps to reduce my carbon footprint and contribute to a greener environment.

Model Answer 3:

Introduction: 
Eating healthy is crucial for maintaining good health and well-being. One way to achieve this is by cooking nutritious meals at home. In this answer, I will describe cooking healthy food at home as a healthy activity that I enjoy.

What you do:
I regularly cook healthy meals at home, using fresh ingredients and whole foods. I try to incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains into my meals to ensure that I am getting all the necessary nutrients. I also avoid processed and high-fat foods and limit my intake of sugar and salt.

Where you do it: 
I cook at home in my kitchen. I find it a convenient and cost-effective way to prepare healthy meals. I can control the ingredients and cooking methods, and I can experiment with different recipes and flavours.

Who you do it with:
I often cook with my mother or sister. It's a fun way to spend time together, and we can share our cooking tips and ideas. We also enjoy trying new recipes and exploring different cuisines.

And explain why you think it is healthy:
Cooking healthy food at home is a healthy activity for several reasons. Firstly, it allows me to control what I eat and ensure that I am getting all the necessary nutrients. Secondly, it helps me maintain a balanced and nutritious diet, which is crucial for maintaining good health. Finally, it is a creative and enjoyable activity that promotes mindfulness and relaxation, which can reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Sample Answer 4:
I wake up early in the morning and then walk for an hour every day. After that, I swim in the nearby river for about 30 minutes and then I start my day. Waking up very early and then doing physical exercise is a healthy habit I have developed from the early stage of my life.

I remember my father insisting us that we wake up very early, and then took us to the nearby high school playground for some light exercise. Nowadays, I wake up from bed at around 5:30 am and wear my exercise trousers and a pair of shoes. Then I start walking along with the road that has passed beside the river. The fresh air in the morning is very healthy for health. Sometimes I take my bicycle and instead of walking, I ride my cycle. I started doing this early morning exercise and swimming a few years back but nowadays 2 of my friends and cousins accompany me almost every day. They enjoy doing exercise very much.

The morning is a time when the air and environment remain fresher than at any time of the day. So breathing the fresh air, doing the exercises and finally swimming in the fresh water is definitely a very healthy habit. A sound mind lies on a sound body and this habit that I adopted is pretty helpful for keeping sound health and a sound mind.

Tips for answering this Cue Card Topic:

Exercising, hiking, swimming, walking in a park, visiting natural places, running, good food habits etc. are some of the habits which are related to good health. Exercise can vary from going for walking in the morning & evening, running, swimming, cycling, playing outdoor games, and going to the gymnasium, doing yoga etc. You can talk about any exercise habit that you have for this cue card as exercise is a healthy habit.

Again you can talk about your passion for visiting different places on your vacation as travelling to open spaces gives you mental refreshment as well as helps keep good health.

Finally, a good food habit is something positive we can have to maintain good health. You can talk about your habit of eating vegetables instad of eating a lot of red meat. Your habit of drinking fruit juice daily is also something healthly you do. Gardening is a good habit which involved both passion and physical exercise and can be described as a healthy habit.

Pick an idea related to exercise, good food habits or travelling and talk about that particular topic.

On the other hand, reading books, cooking, listening to music etc. are good for our mental health and thus keep us joyful which is a healthy habit. If you want to talk about your habit of listening to music, painting, cooking or reading, first mention the mental benefits it offers. Then relate the mental health with the physical health and then continue describing the habit.

The second question: "why you do it" and the fourth question "and explain why you think doing this is healthy" are actually similar. For the latter one describe the benefits it offers and for the second question mention that you have a passion for it, you spend quality time this way and you really enjoy doing it. Since the cue card asks you to describe something healthy you enjoy doing, do not only mention the health benefit it offers. You should also talk about why you enjoy it, how passionate you feel about doing it and your involvement in the task.

Part 3: Details Discussion:

Discussion topics - Keeping fit and healthy:

Q. What do most people do to keep fit in your country?
Q. How important is it for people to do some regular physical exercise?
Q. Why do so many people these days suffer from stress-related issues?

Discussion Topic - Health and modern lifestyles:

Q. Why do some people think that modern lifestyles are not healthy?
Q. Why do some people choose to lead unhealthy lives?
Q. Should individuals or governments be responsible for making people’s lifestyle healthy?
Q. What could be done to encourage people to live in a healthy way?

Click on IELTS Speaking Test - Sample 94 for the answer to these part -3 questions

A few more Part- 3 questions that you can prepare for this topic:

Q 1. Do you think people in your country are less healthy today than they used to be? [Why/ why not?]
Answer: Well, I think that people have become actually more healthy in my country. At least the currently available data and statistics suggest so as far as the average life, meaning that the number of years of people actually living, of the people of my country is concerned. In fact, the average life span of the people of my country has significantly increased over the years. Besides, the improvements in the treatment facilities and quality of food are also some of the important contributing factors that have played an important role in making people healthier in my country. 

Q 2. How can the government encourage young people to stay healthy?
Answer: Governments have a huge role to play in ensuring better health for all of their citizens, regardless of their ages. But, the young people’s health is particularly more important here because they are actually the future of their countries, and that’s exactly why governments should make sure to provide practical health advice and health lessons at schools and colleges. Besides, they should also provide complete guidelines to ensure that they don’t have access to any kind of unhealthy food when eating at a restaurant or any other public place.  Finally, building more public parks and sports centres can also help this movement. 

Q 3. Should governments intervene to force people to do physical exercise and eat healthily? [Why? / Why not?]
Answer: Actually, I am never among those people who think that we can force people to do something good in the long run, which means that governments should never force people to become physically active and eat healthily. And I am of this opinion because of some practical reasons because, after all, governments aren’t just able to regulate what people eat or what they do in the privacy of their homes on a micro-level. Besides, many people feel just fine and healthy with their current lifestyles, and changing it might actually prove to be counter-productive in the long run.  Having said that, the government can always encourage the citizens through advertisements, campaigns and other state-backed programmes to eat healthily and do some exercise regularly. 

Q 4. Which one is more important for a healthy life - a healthy diet or a regular exercise plan? [Why?]
Answer: Well, I am certainly no health expert. But, from what I have known so far from all the health tips and health professionals’ advice, if we want to achieve optimum health, we need both healthy diets and regular exercise. After all, a regular exercise plan keeps the vital organs, like hearts, lungs and livers, active and well, while also managing our body weight. Now, taking the case of managing our body weights, can we actually maintain a healthy body weight just by doing some physical exercise while also consuming tons of extra calories at the same time? The answer to this question, of course, is a big “no”. So we also need a balanced diet to stay healthy. 

Q 5. Why do more people visit doctors and hospitals today than at any time in the past?
Answer: The answer very much depends on the types of persons to whom the question is asked. For example, a positive person would probably say that people generally have become more health-conscious these days which drives them to visit health professionals and hospitals on a more regular basis than in the past. On the other hand, a cynical person would probably blame the lack of proper diets and physical activities for this unwanted “health mess” which is more visible today than at any time in the past.

Q 6. Should offices have a dedicated place for exercise? How can this help employees?
Answer: The answer is “yes” if anybody asks me whether or not the offices should have a dedicated place for exercise because such a facility can go a long way to help the employees become more healthy and productive (at work) in the long run. After all, an employee can always use that little 15-minute break of his office time to do some light exercise, not only to become a bit more physically fit and active, but also to get rid of the boredom of continuous work.

Your preparation for this cue card would also help you answer the following cue card topics:

1. Describe something you enjoy doing.
2. Describe something you do every day.
3. Describe a habit you have.
4. Describe an outdoor activity you have.
5. Describe a game or sports you enjoy playing.
6. Describe a really good habit you have.
7. Describe something you maintain to keep good health.
8. Talk about something you often do.
9. Describe a place you often go to.
10. Describe something healthy you would recommend to your friends.
11. Describe a healthy food item you eat.

• IELTS Cue Card
• IELTS Speaking
• Candidate Task Card
• Speaking Part 2

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