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

Describe an interesting historic place.

You should say:

• what it is
• where it is located
• what you can see or do there now

and explain why this historic place is interesting.

Model Answer 1:

Historical places always intrigue me, as they almost always carry some kinds of special memories and messages in order to help us understand and respect the people of different eras, which significantly shape up our world one way or another. Today, I would like to talk about one such historical place which probably holds more significance in our part of the world called “India” than any other place because of its devastating political, economic and geographical effects.

The name of this historical place is called “Palashi”, anglicised as Plassey, which is located in Nadia district in the Indian state of “West Bengal”. It is particularly well known due to the Battle of Plassey which was fought in June 1757, between the private army of the British East India Company and the army of the last independent king of the then undivided Bengal called Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah.

The name “Palashi”, the name of a village on the bank of a river called “Hooghly”, is derived from the Bengali word for a red-flowered tree named “Pôlash” (but “Butea” in English”).  This is the place that witnessed the monumental betrayal of a Bengali army general called “Mir Jafar Ali Khan”, working under king Siraj Ud Daulah, which eventually led to the defeat of a 50,000 strong army men of the kingdom of Bengal against an army of only 3,000 soldiers, led by an English Lieutenant-general called Robert Clive. By visiting this great historical place, one can see the monument, commonly known as the “Palashi” Monument, which is marked with shrines, obelisks and memorials to the fallen generals and soldiers of Siraj Ud-Daulah, who fought to their deaths to save their last independent king.  

Anyway, this is a very significant and interesting historical place, mainly because it was from the war victory of this place that the British were able to establish their reign all over the Indian subcontinent slowly but surely. Besides, this place also provides a glimpse of a very glorious and rich past of a nation which still hasn’t fully recovered from the setback of a devastating defeat more than 250 years ago.

Model Answer 2:

Machu Picchu in southern Peru is a very fascinating historic place, and I have great enthusiasm about this place. Though I haven't visited this place yet, I would definitely love to be there someday. I mostly learned about this place from one of my friends who visited there, and also from the TV, internet and newspapers.

Machu Picchu is located in Machupicchu District in southern Peru, and it is historically connected with the 15th-century Inca civilisation. It is located in 2,430 meters area above sea level, and it lies on top of a mountain. It is a very popular destination for tourists from all around the world. This place is referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas" and it was named as one of the 7 wonders of the world in 2007. UNESCO nominated it as a world heritage in the year 1983.

This historic place was built as an estate for the Pachacuti emperor of the Inca civilisation in around 1450, and it is considered the most significant and familiar icon of the Inca civilisation.

Well, a tourist can see the finest work of the Inca civilisation there and can learn many things about this great civilisation. Apart from the ruins and cultural icons, one can enjoy the great beauty surrounding this place. I have heard from my friend that the sunset eve is outstanding and eye-witnessing the hills there is something unforgettable. The Inca bridge is another attraction, and the scattered stones in the place offer a unique experience. The Condor, Steps, Falling stairs, Temples, Sacred Rock, Llamas and other Animals, Inca Trail will all blow visitors' minds and would remind them that they are visiting one of the 7 wonders of the world!

This is an interesting place due to the vast area and iconic meaning of the Inca civilisation. There is a lot to see, a lot to do and enjoy and being at one of the 7 wonders of the world is something a visitor will never forget. This place takes us to the past, in the time when Inca nation was there and taught us how advanced they were as they have been able to build such a place with virtually no technological advancement of modern technology.

Sample Answer 3:

An interesting historic place in my country is (...say the name of a historic place...). It is situated at (...area name...) in (...city/town name ...). In my opinion, this is a fascinating historic place as it is almost two thousand years old, and it was discovered in the middle of the last century. This was the centre of the (...say a civilisation name...) civilisation and was one of the most prominent cities in our country back then. More than several hundred feet had to be dug in to discover it.

Now that the place has been renovated to reflect the city it has once been, it gives a mystic aura of the past. This site has more than a hundred acres of land, and most of them are the remaining of the lost civilisation of that time. The place has several old buildings, castles, fortress, monuments, rivers, canon, cryptic houses, under paths and sculptures. A museum was built as recently as 20 years ago for the visitors to learn more about this lost city and the people who lived there. The museum is impressive in terms of its collection and reflection of that civilisation.

To me, this is an interesting historic place because it bears many proofs of the advancements of this civilisation. I have read a lot about this civilisation and cultures of these people and visiting this place was a really good experience. The museum was very rich as well. The city was more than 2 thousand years old and yet it has many amazing artworks, tools, intricate designs, buildings with amazing work, finest canon and many more proofs of their advancement. This was all an amazing experience for me.

Discussion topics: Looking after historic places 

Q. How do people in your country feel about protecting historic buildings?
Answer: I think that most people in my country are rather pragmatic about dealing with and protecting historic buildings. In other words, they are in favour of protecting those buildings that can be saved without compromising or altering their original looks and structures while getting rid of those which have completely become worn out due to their old ages and the adverse effects of weather. Besides, our government has also a strict policy to safeguard historic buildings and the common people generally support all of their initiatives.

Q. Do you think an area can benefit from having an interesting historic place locally? In what way?
Answer: I don’t think that any distinction should be made when it comes to measuring the benefits of historic buildings that are classified as “local” and those that are classified to be “international”. After all, many local sites or places, home to historic buildings, also benefit economically and culturally since a lot of people visit those historical sites on a regular basis. Besides, many of these places come under government development and beautification schemes, apparently because they want to make those historical places more attractive and organized for the visitors.

Q. What do you think will happen to historic places or buildings in the future? Why?
Answer: Barring some odd exceptions, the future of many of these historical places looks rather bleak, not only because they have become too old to survive, but also because the cost of maintaining and preserving those places is becoming a bit too high for many countries around the world. Besides, the commercial needs, and demands for infrastructural developments, will most likely trump the needs for protecting and maintaining those historical sites in many cases, meaning many of these sites, as a result, will probably be destroyed in future to make room for the development works.
 

Discussion topics: The teaching of history at school 

Q. How were you taught history when you were at school?
Answer: In my country, all school-going kids, especially the ones who attend high school, are taught history by making it mandatory for them to study “history” as an important subject in their curricula. Needless to say, it was no exception for me, as I also studied history and I liked it too. And I liked it because my history teacher used to make this subject rather interesting for all of us by citing many historical and interesting examples and references which were not usually mentioned in our textbooks in many cases. Sometimes, we were taken to important historic sites to witness those places first-hand and learn from our experience. But such expedition was very rare - just once or twice a year.

Q. Are there other ways people can learn about history, apart from at school? How?
Answer: Apart from schools, there are some other channels too through which we can learn history. For example, we can learn it by watching different TV programmes that talk about different historical events. In fact, there is a TV channel called “History” just for this purpose. Besides, people can also learn about many interesting historical events and facts by visiting a museum of “History” that preserves many facts about the history of our world. Moreover, travelling extensively can also expose us to the history of different places and cultures. Finally, reading some interesting “history journals” at a library can also be a great way to learn history, in addition to browsing the history of our world and civilization on the internet.

Q. Do you think history will still be a school subject in the future? Why?
Answer: History is so complicated and vast as it contains everything from the past which also, by the way, keep changing because of its different interpretation by different people, over time, that only some expert professionals on “history” can analyze and put those historical events in proper perspectives. Putting these historical events, data and analysis in proper perspectives are absolutely imperative, if we want secure the present and future of our world, and I just don’t think that there is any better alternative to schools just yet which can analyze these historical events in such objective and methodological manner for us. So, yes, history will very much be taught at our schools in the future. 

Similar Cue Card Topics

Your ability to talk about this Cue Card Topic would enable you to talk about the following Cue Card Topics as well:

1.    Describe a historic place you have ever visited.
2.    Describe a worth visiting tourist spot in your city.
3.    Describe a famous spot in your country.
4.    Describe an interesting place you have been to.

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