Cue cards The first time when you admired the sky.

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The first time when you admired the sky. 

• What were you doing? // Who was with you? // What you saw? 

The first time, I properly admired the sky was white drinking tea in my balcony. // I was sitting alone. // I saw a grey coloured and clouded sky with a thin silver lining. 

I am an avid admirer of nature and I love nature in all its manifestations whether it is trees, clouds, rivers etcetera. Though I have always enjoyed looking at the sky full of birds but I distinctly remember a day, I sat looking up at the sky and admiring it in detail. I recall the first thought that stuck me was about how a gigantic machine like an airplane carrying hundreds of people flies so high in the air and that too at very high speed. This thought probably struck me because due to bad weather the flight of one of my relatives had been cancelled that day. Then I noticed the clouds, they appeared beautiful. A grey sky is generally considered as dull and gloomy but to me, it appeared beautiful. Beauty really lies in the eyes of the beholder. I kept looking up for as long as I could and observed a thin silver lining around clouds which looked like chunks of cotton placed on a grey canvas. This, I think is my most vivid memory about the admiration of the sky. 

Follow ups: 

1. Why do people like to study the sky? (People like to study sky to explore new phenomena, different stars, clouds, constellations etcetera.)

2. Do you know any story related to planets? (I do not know any stories related to planets but I remember the way my mother taught me how to remember them in sequence. My mother showed us the nine planets of our solar system.)

3. Do you think children should be told planet stories to improve their imagination? (I think planet stories cannot do much to enhance the imagination of children because my imagination is vivid and wide because of being an avid reader.) 

4. Would you like to watch movies on planets? (I do not mind watching movies related to planets but may not like such movies. If I am free and have nothing else to do, I will probably watch them.)

Related Question: A memory related to sky. 

Cue Card Embarrasing moment

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Embarrasing moment.

• What was it? // When and where did it happen? // Describe the incident. // What did you did? 

The embarrasing moment was when I forgot my wallet and was about to pay bill. // It happened few months ago in the evening. // I had to pay the bill and I realized I was not carrying my wallet. // Everyone was looking at me. I quickly went to the house to bring the wallet. 

There are some moments of life which one likes to remember. They give happiness and one can laugh. But there are some moments in life which bring you nothing but embarrassment. Unluckily, many people have to go through a situation which they would not want to face again. There is one embarraing moment of my life which I would like to share with you. A few months ago, I went to shop near my house. I wanted to buy a few things for my daily use. I entered the shop. There were many people in the store. I asked the salesman for the things which I needed. He collected all the things and packed them in a bag. Then he handed the bill and the bag to me. I went to the cash counter to pay the bill. The bill amount was Rupees 275/-. There were many people at the cash counter. I stood in the queue (line). When my turn came, I put my hand in the pocket to take out my wallet / purse. To my dismay, my pocket was empty. I had forgotten my purse / wallet at home. I was shocked and confused. The man at the counter looked at me with impatience. There was a long line of people behind me who were waiting for their turn. I felt so embarrased. I did not know what to do. I started explaining my situation to the cash clerk. He looked at me with a funny expression. I requested him to keep my bag with him and I implored that I would go back home and would get the money to pay the bill. He smiled and agreed. All the people who were watching me seemed to be laughing at me silently. I felt really embarrassed. I ran home and got the money. I paid the bill and got my things. After that I could not gather the courage to go to the shop again for many days. I can never forget this incident. It was the most embarrasing moment of my life. 

Follow ups: 

1. Do you often experience embarrasing moments? (No, I normally do not face embarrasing moments because I always try to be careful to avoid such situations.)

2. Do you laugh at people when they feel embarrassed? (I never laugh at people when they are embarrassed because I would not want anyone to make fun of me when I am being insulted.)

3. What kinds of situations can cause embarrassment? (Sometimes, the tearing of a dress or forgetting an important thing like a wallet and then confidently trying to get it out of the pocket can be embarrasing.)

Favourite movie cue card speaking

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Favourite movie 

• Which movie is this ? // When you saw it ? // Describe it a little. // What did you learn from it?

The favourite movie is Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. // I saw it in the theater after a week of its release. // It is based on the life of Milkha Singh and starts back with the Roman Olympics, and is also linked to the partition of India. // It taught me that nothing is impossible and we should set goals and then work hard to achieve them. 

Our professional schedule have become very hectic and people resort to various forms of entertainment to get rejuvenated. Out of many types of available sources of entertainment, cinema is a widely used form. Since time immemorial, people of all societies have been using movies as a source of recreation. My favourite movie is “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” which I have watched more than once on my laptop at home and also in the cinema. It still remains a movie I can see again. It is a very inspirational movie based on the life of Milkha Singh popularly known as “Flying Sikh”. It is an Indian biographical sports cinema film directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra from a script written by Prasoon Joshi. The story is about Milkha, an Indian athlete who was a national champion and Olympian. The movie begins in the 1960 Olympic games in Rome where a coach says, “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.” The athlete goes into flashback of his childhood and stands forth. The partition of India in 1947 caused large scale riots resulting in the death of Milkha’s parents. He started stealing for survival and later joined the army. He got selected for the Indian Olympics team. There he falls for the granddaughter of his Australian coach and loses the final race because of getting distracted and lack of focus on the objective. Later, he was convinced by PM. Jawaharlal Nehru to lead the Indian team for a friendly athletic meet in Pakistan. The childhood memories of the murder of his parents in riots haunt him and he recalled the last words of his father “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”. In the games, initially, the Pakistani favourite is winning, but Milkha takes the lead and finally wins the race and the respect of the two nations. The President of Pakistan gave him the title of “The Flying Sikh”. To conclude, I felt we should set goals in life and work towards achieving them keeping in mind that hard work pays and nothing is impossible. 

Follow ups: 

1. Is it important to have famous actors in a movie to make it successful? (I do not think so, I think success depends more on the way, the plot is written directed, acted and how appealing, it is for the public.) 

2. Do you prefer to watch movies at home or in the cinema? (I prefer to watch movies at home as I feel more relaxed and I feel comfortable as I do not have to be conscious of people around me.)

3. Do you think that cinemas will disappear in the future? (No, I do not think that cinemas will disappear in future. The trend of watching movies in cinemas may decline but there will be many people who would prefer cinema.)

4. Do young Indians like to watch foreign movies? (I think young Indians are very fond of Hollywood movies and they do watch them on television, computer and in cinemas.)

Related Question: A movie based on the real person. OR A movie you would like to see. 

Describe something that you have shared with others (or another person)

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Describe something that you have shared with others (or another person) 

• What you shared? // When you shared it? // Who you shared it with? // Explain why you shared it or how you felt when you shared it?

I shared my room with everything in it. // I shared it for 6 months in 2015. // My cousin came to do a computer course in my city. // I felt happy and comfortable and enjoyed his/her company. 

I am a solitary person and I do not like too many people around me. I have always liked alone in my room and have never shared clothes, books, etcetera with anyone else. In 2015, my cousin from Ludhiana came to stay with me in Chandigarh for a six month computer course. She is my paternal uncle’s daughter. I knew, she planned to do this course but her decision of staying with me for the entire duration of the course was a surprise for me. I knew that she would be staying with me for almost half a year so I prepared myself against my solitary nature to share my room with my cousin. When I arrived, I made sure I took good care of her as she is younger to me. Initially, I had some reservations about how would we stay together, and may get into arguments and I may not like sharing my things with her. I am glad that I was wrong and she did not give me any trouble at all. She always helped me with my work, it made our bond even stronger. She always seeked permission before using any of my things and took care of all my belongings. Then we started feeling, it would be difficult to separate. We made so many memories by going out for walks, having conversations every night etcetera. I felt very pleasant about sharing my room woth her. I felt happy and enjoyed her company and when she left, both of us were sad. 

Follow ups:

1. Do people in your country prefer to share public transport or do they prefer to use private transport? (Sharing of transport depends on the availability of transport, distance to be travelled, financial status of the traveller etcetera in my country.)

2. Do many people in your country share their home with others or do they mostly live alone? (Most people in my country share their home with others, people live with their family or in some cases with friends.)

3. Do you think there are any advantages of sharing your homes with other (non-family) people? (I think sharing our home with others is better than staying alone as we get to learn new things and develop the habit of adjustment.)

4. Would you ever share food with someone else? (I do share my food with my friends and family and I like sharing.)

Related Question: A time when someone moved in to live with you. 

Describe something that you have shared with others (or another person) 

Describe a characteristic or trait of your personality cue card

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Describe a characteristic or trait of your personality. 

• What it is? // How it affects your life? // Where did you get it from? // How you feel about it? 

A special trait of my personality is that I am adaptable and readily adjust to all kind of situations. // I am comfortable in adjusting to change. // My mother has taught me to be open to change and be adaptable to all circumstances and learn from life. // I am thankful and proud that I possess this trait because of which I have so many friends. 

Different people have different traits of personality and no two people are alike. I am a person full of different characteristics. The one dominant trait of my personality is that I easily adjust to any situation and with any person. I count this as my strength as I can mould myself to become the kind of person any situation requires. I have learnt this from my mother as she is a very adjusting person herself. She never complains of any circumstance that she is in and always manages to adapt and compromise. I think it is very important to have such a quality. I also feel it helps me to retain relationships, be a happier person and have a greater peace of mind. I feel content and I understand situations well. I also do not make my body used to any particular comfort so that when it is unavailable, I do not feel deprived. I try to imbide better qualities each day and be a better human being. 

Follow ups: 

1. What kinds of characters are popular in the modern society? (Many people in modern society are competitive, materialistic and insensitive. They are less humane and cooperative.)

2. What qualities should a good teacher have? (A good teacher must be sincere, dedicated, polite, understanding and empathetic.)

3. Do you think parents’ characters can affect young people’s development? (Parents’ characteristics have immense effects on young people because youngsters have impressionable minds and they learn what they see.)

4. Would you like to develop a specific personality in future? (I do not think there is any specific personality that I want to restrict myself to in future. I am quite content with my personality but I would want to inculcate all good qualities that I can.) 

Describe a characteristic or trait of your personality. 

Describe an old thing that your family has kept for a long time cue card

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Describe an old thing that your family has kept for a long time. 

Old Thing in your house.

1. What it is?

- Metal Curved Mirror

2. How your family got it?

- Grandmother

- From auction

3. How long your family has kept it?

- Nearly 30 years

4. Explain why it is important?

- Unique

- Sentimental value 

1. The old thing in my house is a metal carved mirror.

2. My grandmother bought it from an auction.

3. It has been in my house for nearly 30 years.

4. It is important to us because it is unique, decorative and has sentimental value. 

There are innumerable old and new items in my home. I would like to talk about a metal carved mirror. The mirror was bought by my great grandmother who was fond of decorative pieces. She had bought it from an auction. Now, we have hung it in our library. Though it is very old but still looks new because our maid cleans it with a special liquid every day. The liquid helps to keep the bronze shiny and clean. 

The borders of the mirror have flowers and leaves and its oval shaped. I want to shift it to my room because I will not need to give any other special effect to my room because the unique and decorative mirror will be enough to make my room special. The mirror is quite big and has to be handled carefully. When I shift the mirror in my room, I will need to get some helpers to assist me in shifting the mirror in my room. 

As it is unique its monetary value is also high and I am very happy to have such a unique piece of art in my house which is worth lakhs. Well keep it safely and well maintained because “old is gold”.

Follow ups: 

1. What do you think are better, old things or new things? (I feel it cannot be generalized. Both old and new things have their own value and use.)

2. Apart from family photographs, what are some other things that people keep in their house for a long time? (Other than family photographs, there are several things like furniture, watches, show pieces, some electronics which people keep in their house for a long.)

3. In your culture, what sort of things do people often pass down from generation to generation? (Why?) (In my culture, jewellery, certain clothes, clocks, books are passed from generation to generation as a way to preserve memories.)

4. Why do you think people keep these things? (I think, people keep these things to remember their ancestors, or to preserve an antique piece and the memories attached to it.)

5. Do you think it is good to recall the past? (I think it is good to recall the past as it gives us an idea about how things used to be and how they have changed in modern times.)

Describe an old thing that your family has kept for a long time. 

The season you like the most cue card

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The season you like the most. 

1. Which season it is?

- Rainy/monsoon

2. What part of the year does it prevail in?

- July to September 

3. Why do you like it?

- Freshness

- Greenery

- Children playing

- Colourful umbrellas 

1. My favourite season is the rainy season which is also called monsoon.

2. It normally lasts from July to September.

3. I like it because it refreshes people. Plants and grass are washed. Children play and people use colourful umbrellas. 

A season is a particular weather pattern and number of daylight hours resulting from the Earth’s changing revolution the sun. Out of the four seasons in India, my favourite season is rainy season which is also called monsoon. It normally starts in July and continues up to the end of September. It is an awaited season as it comes after a hot summer in most parts of India. Many festivals are also celebrated during this season. I love the rains because they bring a different charm to living. The plants and trees are washed and they look beautiful, new and green. Children dance and sing songs while getting drenched in the rain or they make paper boats and make them float in puddles. People use colourful umbrellas and rain coats. The streets appear beautifully coloured. Another thing which fascinates me is the fragrance of the moist earth. This is my major attraction for this season. I prefer to sit on my bed which is near a window and enjoy the beautiful rainy season. There are so many emotions that I feel when I sit back and relax among the heavenly drops falling and bringing joy to every form of life. I wait eagerly for this time of the year and when it does come, I happily enjoy every possible feeling and emotion that I can. 

Follow ups:

1. What are the major seasons in India? (There are four main seasons in India – winter, spring, summer and monsoon.)

2. Do seasons affect people’s mood? (Seasons do impact the mood of people. Like in summers people seem irritated, tired and low in energy, whereas they feel lazy in winter.)

3. Do seasons affect people’s  choice of clothes? (People choose clothes according to seasons like in summers they prefer light coloured cotton clothes, whereas in winters they choose dark colours and thick woolen clothes like jackets and coats.)

The season you like the most cue card.