Describe a place you visited where the air was polluted: IELTS Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

03 Jul 2024

The IELTS speaking exam, which evaluates a non-native English speaker's pronunciation, grammar, fluency, and vocabulary reasoning, is the most important of the four parts of the IELTS exam. Therefore, the most important aspect of the IELTS speaking test is accurately comprehending the IELTS speaking topics and IELTS speaking questions. You must take the IELTS sample test and practice responding to the commonly asked IELTS speaking questions to achieve a respectable score on the test. This can help you prepare better for the IELTS test by increasing your language skills and self-confidence. 

The three components of the IELTS speaking exam are the general introductory interview, the Cue Card section, and the follow-up questions. Every portion of the IELTS test is designed to assess various aspects of your beliefs, character, and grasp of the English language. The first section's goal is to get the candidate ready for the IELTS exam. You will be asked some general questions about yourself and your subject of study in this section of the speaking test, thus you must write a succinct, basic introduction of yourself during your IELTS preparation.

The second and most crucial part of the IELTS speaking test is the Cue Card component. You will be given a Cue Card with a topic chosen at random printed on it, and you will have two minutes to discuss it. Time yourself when practicing your monologues on the IELTS speaking topics that are most frequently asked as part of your IELTS exam preparation. It is not permitted for you to take longer than the allotted time. You need to practice speaking on typical IELTS speaking questions as part of your IELTS preparation to better grasp the structure of each exam session. You need to know how to structure your response, emphasize flexibility, and express your ideas in a way that makes sense.

The follow-up questions segment, which makes up the third section of the IELTS speaking test, asks you a series of follow-up questions that are based on your response to the IELTS speaking topics. Answering these IELTS speaking questions will require you to be both quick and clever. Your score for the speaking test will soar if your comments are sufficiently compelling and thought-provoking in this area of the test, which evaluates your command of the language. Make sure to take regular IELTS practice tests and enact your answers to the IELTS exam sample questions for a solid IELTS preparation session. 

IELTS speaking topics: Describe a place you visited where the air was polluted

Describe the place : 

I happened to visit our capital city, Delhi, in the month of December for a quick visit to a friend and was taken aback by the polluted air of the city. Sadly, one of the most advanced cities in our country has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. 

Vividly picture the situation :  

After getting down from the flight, I hopped into a cab to my friend's apartment. The moment we left the premises of the airport, a huge wall of smoke surrounded us. The air was so polluted that our cab driver could hardly see the next car in broad daylight. I mistook it to be fog at first but was corrected by my cab driver that it was the polluted air of Delhi. It felt like the city was suffering from lung cancer. The more we drove, the more we got engulfed by clouds of smog. I was amazed by the fact that it was just another usual day for the people of Delhi. It was as if the residents of the city had given up on the issue of air pollution and had accepted it as a part of their lives. 

Your Reasoning :  

I think the polluted air of Delhi is the result of the pollutants emitted from its plethora of cars. Traffic jams are one of the most common problems an individual residing in Delhi faces daily. It is the poisonous gas emitted from age-old vehicles that constitute the main reason behind the hugely polluted air. Not to mention the gas emitted from the Air conditions, Coolers, Refrigerators, and many more electronic gadgets piles on to the reason of air pollution in Delhi.

Ways to overcome : 

I think the Government should take strict action to reduce air pollution in Delhi otherwise the day is not far when Delhi and its adjacent states will become uninhabitable. Air pollution can be reduced by the use of electric vehicles as an alternative to petrol or diesel cars. This should significantly reduce the pollution level in the air. Planting more trees and increasing the greenery would be a natural cure to the daunting situation.

IELTS speaking topics: Describe a place you visited where the air was polluted

Introduction : 

I visited the city of Guwahati a few months back and was taken aback by the immense amount of air pollution the city is suffering from. What I thought were clouds floating around, were actually, the unburnt remains of gases emitted from vehicles giving rise to polluted air and decreasing the standard of living in the city.

The gist of the situation :  

I dreamed of breathing in the city's fresh air and rejuvenating myself on my trip to Shillong via Guwahati, but it was too good to be true. It was extremely disheartening to see such a picturesque city engulfed by a monstrous storm of air pollution. On pondering about the unfortunate situation of the city, I discovered a few reasons behind the polluted air. The primary causes of air pollution are building operations, open burning of rubbish, and automobiles. Aside from this, if a spontaneous fire breaks out in a dumping ground where rotting waste releases methane, it usually releases harmful gases continuously. Air pollution may also originate from small and medium-sized industrial enterprises. I read in an article that wetlands are essential for maintaining the quality of the air in not only the surrounding areas but possibly an entire city because their plants can absorb about 50% of carbon dioxide, even more efficiently than forests can. That could be a very effective approach to reducing air pollution in Guwahati and its surrounding areas. 

Conclusion : 

I wish and pray that the city overcomes its problems of air pollution soon enough for its people to breathe a sigh of relief. Guwahati is indeed a very beautiful city, but the polluted air and open dumps are ruining its essence. I hope the Government of Assam will take strict actions to bring its old, fresh air back. 

IELTS exams sample: Follow-up questions

The IELTS speaking test's follow-up question portion aims to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively, have meaningful conversations, and elegantly express your thoughts. Because it calls for quick thinking and active engagement, this component of the IELTS speaking test is perceived as the most difficult of all. To ensure you have enough confidence for this section, you should review every IELTS speaking question and practice answering the IELTS exam sample questions from the IELTS practice materials.

IELTS speaking - Follow-up question

Who do you feel is responsible for the polluted air of a city?  

Answer: The city in itself does not possess the capability to pollute itself. It is the people who stay there who are responsible for its deteriorating air quality. Plants are being slashed, factories are emitting poisonous gases, and vehicles are releasing harmful substances into the air which is piling up to cause this pathetic state of the air of our country. Every significant city in our country suffers from polluted air. This could only be undone by changing our pattern of living. Cars need to be reduced, electric vehicles need to be introduced more, fauna needs to increase and we need to be more cautious of our actions toward Mother Nature. 

Does firecrackers cause air pollution during Diwali? 

Answer: Certainly. Firecrackers are one of the main reasons we encounter so much polluted air during the time of Diwali and Dussehra. Although it is illegal to burst them in most cities of India nowadays, still there are huge chunks of the population who ignore the protocol just to enjoy the thrill of the moment. It is because of their ignorance that the ailment of asthmatic patients skyrockets during that time of the year. The polluted air is so dense in the morning after Diwali, that it causes innumerable road accidents resulting in the loss of life. So all the citizens must ban firecrackers and help our nature breath at ease. 

Do you think wind can reduce air pollution? 

Answer 1: I am not completely certain about the analogy, but my basic sense of science would suggest that winds do have the power to reduce air pollution. Strong winds can disperse the pollutants in the air and act as a natural filter for polluted air.  

Answer 2: Yes. I am aware that strong wind has the capability of reducing air pollution because it scatters the pollution-causing agents of the air in separate directions, reducing the level of pollution in it. But it is also a fact that wind cannot be controlled by humans. We cannot rely on wind and plants to reduce the pollution of air for us. We need to take an active part in conserving the air we breathe in for us to survive longer on this planet. The more we ignore our environment, the longer we leap towards extinction.  

Conclusion

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