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Describe a Person Who Solved a Problem in a Smart Way - IELTS Cue Card

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By:CANAM Group
Updated On:Dec 27,2023 05:30 PM IST

The structure of the IELTS exam is designed to check the proficiency level of the English language among the candidates. In the IELTS speaking test part 2, a candidate is required to speak on a topic for about 1 to 2 minutes. With the speaking topic, 3 to 4 cues are provided which helps the candidates to answer the question to the point.

Describe a Person Who Solved a Problem.webp

The IELTS exam is conducted all around the world, and there are two types of exams, Academic and General exam. It is one of the most prestigious English language proficiency exams.

Out of the four modules in the IELTS exam, the speaking module is the one where three steps are incorporated to test a candidate’s language skills.

Cue Card is provided at the second step of the IELTS Speaking exam. It also contains a few pointers to be included in the speech. Examiners look for relevance and coherence while taking the test of the candidates.

IELTS Cue Card

After mastering IELTS Speaking Part 1, one needs to practice speaking on cue cards, as in Part 2 of the IELTS exam. Following is one such example of a cue card.

Describe a Person Who Solved a Problem in a Smart Way

One should say

• Who is this person

• What was the problem

• How did he/she solve it?

• And explain why you think that he/she did it in a smart way.

Sample Answer

I have, at times, managed to resolve most of the obstacles myself or with the support of family members, but there are times when a situation is so unnerving that it is difficult to come up with a solution. During such testing times, I feel blessed to have sensible and resourceful friends. Although I am seldom in a situation where it becomes difficult to escape, there have been times when it was the quick-wit of a friend which saved me. I would like to talk about one instance where Aman, a close friend of mine, was able to get me out of a tough situation. It was during the first semester of college, and I had just gotten my driver’s license, so I had been taking my father’s motorcycle to the institute.

One day, we had plans to visit another friend who stayed close to my house. Me and Aman took my father’s bike to visit him. Unfortunately, the vehicle broke down and stopped suddenly on the road. Since we were in the middle of a busy road, I steered the bike towards the side, and both of us began to look for the cause of such a snag. Since this was the first time I had faced such a problem with the bike, I started panicking about the situation. Nevertheless, Aman quickly figured out that there was a connection problem with the vehicle’s battery, and he was right. I was relieved and impressed with how quickly he figured out and even solved the problem by making a few tweaks to the battery, and we were able to carry on with the plan without any hassle.

Sample Answer 2

People say that there are some people who are hard working while there are others who are street smart. But sometimes, I think that street-smart people have a solution to unique problems. So it was my friend Raman who gave me a clever solution to a problem.

I liked going to school and attending classes, but I never liked to carry a load of books in my bag from home to school and back every day, either because I was physically weak or I was a bit too lazy. But whatever was the reason, I was desperately trying to find a solution to this problem of carrying books. So, I randomly asked Raman for any solution that came to his mind. He simply told me to give him some time to think and vanished.

I observed him giving it a really serious thought. It was actually amusing to see how he took it very seriously, but I never believed that he would really come up with any solution. I was completely sure that I would have to carry this weight always and maybe just try to build some strength for it. The next day, when I met him, I was convinced he would say that he had given up and found no solution for me. To my surprise, he was beaming with confidence and told me about his idea.

He had been talking to our teachers as well about it. The idea was to keep a set of books at school also and one would be already at home. This just took a little investment but solved not just mine but many students’ weight was just shifted from their shoulders to our school lockers. This idea worked wonders, and I think such a practice has been adopted in various schools as well, and it makes complete sense. I was seriously proud of my friend for helping us out and applying his out-of-the-box ideas to solve such issues.

It was definitely a smart idea because it wouldn’t only help me save my energy but would also save me the time to organize them at home.

Sample Answer 3

Being an altruist person, I tend to meet people with different talents and backgrounds. I have met various people with unique talents. Recently, I met a person who has carved out a niche for himself by doing smart work.

Mr. Vainketesh, my neighbor, had been assigned by his company to devise a strategy to deal with the plastic waste in the city.To solve this problem, he went beyond the conventional domain. He realized that some unique plan is required to address this grave concern of plastic waste disposal.

To proceed with his plan, he had made a tie-up with rag pickers and instructed them to deposit all the plastic waste with his company. The collected waste would then be converted into flower pots of different sizes and different colors.

The rag pickers would get these flower pots free of cost for the hard work done by them. They would later sell these products in the market to earn money. This strategy worked like a charm for him and led to a tremendous decline in the quantity of plastic waste in our city.

He did it smartly as he also proved the point that all problems have a solution. The only thing we need to do is to change our perspective towards the issues surrounding us. This smart work by Mr. Vainketesh made me an optimistic person, and now I, too, try to look for smart ideas as well along with hard work.

Follow up Questions

The Speaking Test is conducted along the same lines in both IELTS General Training and academics. The third step of the speaking test is follow-up questions as given below.

• Do you think smart thinking and resourcefulness are inherent traits, or can one learn to be so?

We can say that some are born intelligent as well due to heredity but these traits can also be learnt from environment and quick learning. Smartness thrives primarily in one’s environment as in the company of those who think beyond the conventional domain turn out to be smarter.

• Does school play any role in building up logical as well as out-of-the-box thinking?

Children can certainly become smarter if stimulated consistently in an environment filled with little problem-solving tasks. Along with academics, children should be challenged from a tender age only to handle some day-to-day conflicts in their lives. This builds a habit of facing problems without fear as they build the confidence to come up with a solution.

• Why do you think some people adapt well in various unknown situations and others are only confident in a few things?

Some people listen to their intuitive mind and act accordingly and also try their hands at all kinds of things. But few people tend to excel in one field, which is, of course, a good thing. But when it comes to a diversified environment where one needs to think and act with the presence of mind and not just be book-smart, there are people with basic knowledge of all fields that come in handy.

• Do you think multi-talented people are the need of the hour?

As we are well aware nowadays, one needs to be versatile to accomplish their goals. The needs of society have taken a tremendous turn due to technical influx as well, and so it requires people with quick learning and out-of-the-box perspectives.

• What’s the best way to learn problem-solving skills?

The best way to learn problem-solving skills is by working on real-world problems. Many people find that they’re much better at solving problems when they apply what they have learned in a practical setting.

For more detailed information on ‘Describing a Person Who Solved a Problem in a Smart Way’-IELTS Cue Card, Contact Canamprep, the leading IELTS trainer worldwide.

Conclusion

The IELTS Cue Card- ‘Describe a Person Who Solved a Problem in a Smart Way’ is a unique topic to explore one’s creative thinking. The IELTS Speaking Test in all as well tests the candidate’s flow of thoughts along with language skills. The test-takers can practice speaking on diverse topics and hone their speaking skills.

FAQ

What is the IELTS Cue Card?

The Cue Card is the second step of the IELTS Speaking Test. It contains a question along with a few pointers to help the candidate form an answer. The candidate needs to speak on the topic for 1-2 minutes.

How is the time segregated among the three tasks of the speaking test?

Candidates are asked to answer a few questions on day-to-day lives for 1-2 minutes. The examiner then gives a cue card and 1 minute for the preparation of the topic. The candidate then is required to speak on the topic for 1-2 minutes. The examiner then asks follow-up questions.

Is it required to answer all the pointers in the cue card?

The pointers on the cue card are actually for guidance to build up the answer. It’s good to include them in the answer, and one can speak on them in any order.

What do IELTS examiners look for in the speaking test?

Examiners assess a candidate’s performance based on four criterias. Fluency, coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy as well as pronunciation.

How to prepare for an IELTS Cue Card?

Students can practice taking notes on different topics and then speaking on them within the time limit. This way, they can gather ideas about various topics in advance and will be confident enough to speak on any given topic.

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Describe a Person Who Solved a Problem in a Smart Way - IELTS Cue Card

Table of Contents

IELTS Cue Card

Sample Answer

Sample Answer 2

Sample Answer 3

Follow up Questions

Conclusion

FAQ

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Central Queensland University - Rockhampton, North Campus Queensland

Charles Sturt University - Wagga Wagga Campus New South Wales

Deakin University - Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus Victoria

Engineering Institute of Technology - Perth campus Western Australia

Griffith University - Nathan Campus Queensland

La Trobe University - Bendigo Campus Victoria

LCI Melbourne - Art & Design School Victoria

University Canada West British Columbia

University of Windsor Ontario

Dalhousie University Nova Scotia

Carleton University Ontario

Cape Breton University Nova Scotia

University of ottawa Ontario

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University of guelph Ontario

Ara Institute of Canterbury - City Campus Southland

Aspire 2 International - Auckland Campus Auckland

Auckland University of Technology - City Campus Auckland

Eastern Institute of Technology - Hawke Bay Campus Hawke's Bay

Manukau Institute of Technology -Manukau Campus Auckland

Massey University - Auckland Campus Auckland

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) - Nelson Campus Southland

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The University of Waikato - Hamilton Campus Hamilton

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