Describe a piece of technology that you find difficult to use: IELTS Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

11 Jul 2024

Among the four examinations of the IELTS test, the most significant one is the IELTS speaking test, which assesses a non-native English speaker's fluency, pronunciation, grammar, and personal views. IELTS speaking topics and IELTS speaking questions are therefore the most crucial part of the exam, and understanding them correctly is crucial. 

To get a decent score on the IELTS test, you need to practice answering the frequently asked speaking questions and take the IELTS sample test on a regular basis. This can boost your confidence and linguistic proficiency, which can help you prepare more effectively for the IELTS speaking exam.

The Cue Card portion, the general introductory interview, and the follow-up questions comprise the three portions of the IELTS speaking test. In every speaking test section, a range of criteria pertaining to your character, opinions, and level of English language ability are evaluated. 

The first session's objective is to get the applicant ready for the IELTS exam. You will be asked some general questions about yourself and your field of study during the introductory interview portion of the speaking test, thus it is crucial that you prepare a brief, basic introduction of yourself throughout your IELTS preparation.

The Cue Card component is the second and most important section of the IELTS speaking test. A cue card with a randomly selected topic printed on it will be given to you, and you will have two minutes to talk about it. As part of your IELTS exam preparation, time yourself while you practice your monologues on the IELTS speaking topics that are most commonly requested. 

You are not allowed to take more time than what has been allocated. As part of your IELTS preparation, you should practice speaking on standard IELTS speaking questions so that you may better understand how each exam session is structured. It is imperative that you possess the ability to organize your answer, highlight adaptability, and coherently convey your thoughts during your IELTS speaking test for achieving your desired IELTS exam band.

Based on your answers to the IELTS speaking topics, you will be asked a series of follow-up questions in the third phase of the IELTS speaking test, known as the follow-up questions segment. These IELTS speaking questions will test your ability to think quickly and witty. If your responses to the IELTS speaking portion of the test, which assesses your language proficiency, are sufficiently interesting and thought-provoking, your score on the IELTS speaking test will skyrocket. 

IELTS exam sample 1: Describe a piece of technology that you find difficult to use

For attempting IELTS speaking topics like these, you need to have a good understanding of the topic and its elements. Once you get the gist of the IELTS speaking topics, you need to jot down the pointers you want to mention in the speech for the speaking test cue card section. This is the part you ought to do during the one-minute preparation time of the IELTS test cue card section. 

This kind of topic requires you to be honest and truthful, but imaginative at the same time. You need to mention the technology which you have used and initially found difficult to adapt to. But make sure you know the technology well, otherwise it would be difficult to tackle the IELTS speaking questions in the follow-up questions segment which is the last leg of the IELTS exam. 

The pointers which this topic needs to be mentioned are : 

• What is the technology: Name and describe this technology. Mention when and how you acquired it.
• Utility of the technology: Reasons why this technology is useful
• Explain the difficulty: Factors of the technology that were difficult to adapt
• Graph of evolution: How you have evolved and learned how to use it correctly. How you utilize it now.
• Conclusion: Plot a good ending.

Let us discuss a couple of answers to the above IELTS speaking topic expected in the cue card segment of the speaking test. 

What is the technology?

Last year on my birthday, my sister gifted a curling iron to me. It was an advanced piece of technology from a renowned brand and I was excited to use it. I wanted to get a curling iron for my straight hair for a long time since I have a fascination with hairdressing for special occasions. 

Utility of the technology 

The curling iron is used to curl your hair with the help of heat for special occasions. There are different types of curls it can give your hair like soft curls, dense curls, etc. The type of curl depended on how long you used the iron. A change in your hairstyle can change your entire look so it is one of the most essential technologies for a woman these days, who likes to keep up with the latest trends in fashion. 

Explain the difficulty

After going through the manual of the equipment several times, I failed to understand the basic utility of the item. I tried watching demonstration videos and after investing 2 hours of my life, I finally got the hang of it, or at least I thought so. I started trying it on a segment of my hair, which worked initially, but soon I found it difficult to control the heat of the curling rod. Also while trying it out, I burnt my fingers and the side of my ear. All in all, my first few trials of the new technology were heartbreakingly difficult. 

Graph of evolution

But I didn’t lose hope. As a hairstyle enthusiast, I wanted to be able to utilize the latest technology to the fullest and try my hands on new hairstyles. I kept trying to use it until I got comfortable with it. After months of trial and error, I finally got a grasp of the technology and understood its functionalities. Now I can do any curl on my hair with the machine without burning any part of my body. 

Conclusion : 

Now I am glad I didn’t give up and stuck with the curling iron and tried to improve my understanding of the technology. The thing about such technology is that it requires you to be patient with it. You need time to understand its utility, but once you do, you can genuinely benefit from it. 

IELTS exam sample 2: Describe a piece of technology that you find difficult to use

What is the technology?

A few months ago, my parents and I moved to a new apartment in the city and held a lavish housewarming dinner to celebrate it. One of the presents we received from our guests was an expensive vacuum cleaner. We were thrilled to get an item of technology that is supposed to make household work easier for us.  

Utility of the technology 

A vacuum cleaner is an item of technology that is supposed to clean up your entire home without help from anything else. It sucks the dust on surfaces and makes them squeaky clean with the help of the vacuum technology inbuilt in it. It is truly a magnificent piece of invention to help save time for ordinary people. 

Explain the difficulty

But as every piece of advanced technology comes with its share of challenges, this piece had its own set of difficulties too. There were several add-on equipment that came along with the machine and I hardly knew which one was used for what. Also, while starting the machine, I couldn’t understand which part of the house I was supposed to clean with which mode of the machine. For the first few weeks, I did a series of trials to understand its functionality. We tried different modes and kept checking out different manuals of the technology. I also had difficulty to clean the bag in which the dust accumulated. 

Graph of evolution

After weeks of trials with different modes and different equipment, I finally got the hang of it. Once I understood its utility, the technology actually made a lot of sense to me. There were different modes for different weather conditions and the add-ons were for cleaning specific parts of the house. It depended on which material was the surface made of, which I was aiming to clean. After understanding its full utility, I fell in love with it.

Conclusion : 

AT present, I make sure to clean our house every alternate day with the help of a vacuum cleaner. I can clean any part of the house with this technology without any effort which makes this piece extremely user effective.  It has reduced out cost of expense on cleaning the apartment and we have saved a lot of effort over the last few months. I am very glad to have finally understood the utility of the technology.

IELTS speaking test next step: Follow-up questions

The follow-up questions portion of the IELTS speaking exam is the following section that follows the Cue Cards. A few follow-up questions pertaining to your IELTS speaking topics and responses from the Cue Card portion will be posed to you in this area. For your reference in the section with follow-up questions, we've included a few IELTS speaking questions below. You can review these as sample questions for the IELTS exam and comprehend the responses for your mock exam. 

IELTS exam sample - Follow-up question

What is your opinion on the advancement of technology?  

Answer: The advancement of technology is an inevitable aspect of life. The pace with which technology is evolving is amazing. There are several features of technological inventions that would have been unimaginable a few years ago, like Artificial Intelligence, the advancement of data science, and many more. I feel grateful to be able to live in a world where imagination and invention go hand in hand with the help of different aspects of technology. There are several inventions in the field that have made our lives much easier than before, like the internet, microwaves, air-conditioners, and refrigerators, to name a few. 

What according to you are the real threats of technological advancement?

Answer: While technology has made our day-to-day life easier and faster, there are several side effects of its advancement that can become a threat to our future. The gases emitted from air-conditioners and refrigerators are a threat to the ozone layer of our atmosphere which is causing global warming. Air pollution from fuel vehicles is a threat to our environment as well. The advent of Artificial intelligence and Data Science poses a threat to our personal data and privacy. These are some of the issues faced by technological advancement, so I feel our scientists should be very cautious with their inventions and their possible side effects.  

Is there a technology you are grateful to have been invented?  

Answer: Absolutely. I am certainly grateful for the invention of several technologies that have made my life much easier. The internet is one invention without which I cannot imagine my life at present. I am grateful for the invention of telephones, earphones, wireless speakers, and computers. The invention of microwaves, toasters, and induction ovens, has minimized fuel consumption and the threat of getting burnt. I am thankful for all those technological inventions that have made our lives easier and more relaxed. 

Conclusion

A passing score on the IELTS test is a prerequisite for admission to the majority of universities and opens up employment chances overseas. One method to evaluate your strengths and shortcomings and focus more on the areas that require improvement is to take an IELTS sample test. By acquainting you with IELTS speaking topics, IELTS exam sample questions, and IELTS speaking questions, we at  D-VIVID are here to offer you thorough and personalized guidance during the IELTS test. Our team of expert trainers at D-VIVID is dedicated to providing effective IELTS exam preparation, which includes the IELTS practice test and IELTS exam sample question-answering sessions, with the aim of assisting you in achieving high band scores.