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An interesting story you have read or heard

IELTS Cue Card Question 64 With Model Answer: 

Describe an interesting story you’ve read or heard about recently.

You should say: 
  • what it was
  • when you read or heard it
  • From whom/ where you learned it
And explain what was special about the story.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer 1:

Introduction:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about an interesting story that I recently learned about. It is a great topic, and I feel lucky to have the chance to share my thoughts about it.

What it was:
The story that I recently learned about was a real-life event that took place in 2010. It was about a Chilean miner named "Mario Sepulveda", who was trapped underground for 69 days after a mine collapsed. He was one of 33 miners who were stuck in the San Jose mine in Copiapo, Chile. The story of the Chilean miners is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the strength that people can find in each other during times of crisis. It is an inspiring story that teaches us the importance of resilience, courage, and hope in the face of adversity.

When you read or heard it:
I learned about this story recently while watching a documentary on Netflix called "The 33." The documentary was released in 2015, but I had not watched it until now.

From whom/ where you learned it:
I learned about this story from the documentary that I watched on Netflix. The documentary tells the story of the 33 miners who were trapped underground for 69 days and how they were rescued.

And explain what was special about the story:
What was special about this story was the courage and resilience that the miners showed during their ordeal. They were trapped in a small space deep underground with limited supplies and no contact with the outside world. Yet, they managed to stay alive by rationing their food and water and by supporting each other emotionally.

What impressed me the most was the way Mario Sepulveda took on the role of a leader and kept the morale of his fellow miners high. He made sure that they had a routine, kept them informed about the rescue efforts, and even organized singing and praying sessions to keep their spirits up.



Model Answer 2:
Due to my unstable nature, I did not have close contact with literature or literary books and recently I read the story of Romeo and Juliet.

I heard about the long before but could not manage time to read about it entirely. As a result, I did not have the right idea about Romeo and Juliet. The characters are the historic creation of British playwright, William Shakespeare. Basically, this is a drama and is also found in the form of a storybook. It is a tragedy and tells the story of a young couple who had to die for familial reasons. The plot source is controversial and it is anticipated that the plot is derived from an Italian tale or narrative poem with name - The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, published in the 15th century.

In my summer vacation, I came to my grandparent’s house in Corsica and being the younger one I have no one to be with me as all of my relatives and cousins are my elders. So, I thought that I should keep attention to my studies and if I feel bored, I should go for a walk. During the second day's walk on the island, I found the book in a second-hand bookselling store. It was the compilation of all the writings of Shakespeare and I bought the books at a reasonable cost. Then, instead of wandering on the roads, I started reading a book in my room allotted in my grandparent’s house. I did not feel interested in travelling across the island as I have visited it many times in my early childhood and preferred reading the stories of Shakespeare. 

I have heard about the story many times from many people but unfortunately, I did not feel any interest in reading the story. When I was in my senior high school, some of the students staged a drama based on the story and invited me with all others to enjoy the show, but even then I could not manage time to be there at the right time. When I had reached, the show was over. As a result, I actually could not read or watch the show. So, when I got the chance to read the book, I did not want to miss that.

The story is about the brawl between Montague and Capulet families and the enmity is so stronger that the servants of the two families make quarrel whenever they get the chance. In such a situation a young man and woman from the families fell in love and had to sacrifice their life due to a misunderstanding. I am surprised about the familial enmity over trifling issues and that continued for generations. It is truly pathetic and I am happy that those days are over. Currently, there are no such barriers regarding falling in love or getting married to a person beyond their own cast or creed.


Model Answer 3:
Recently I completed reading a book named “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. This was an allegorical novella by the writer and was first published in 1945. Initially, many publishers were reluctant to publish the book of its satire. Thank you for the question, and I will describe the book facts here in short.

Since an early age, I love to read books. I have read books of varied tastes and derived great pleasure. Animal Farm was one of them which also gave me the same pleasure like the other books and I also got some new insight into the then-political conditions. In fact, the book was written during wartime and there are some reflections of war and political propaganda on the book. The book was about the events that had led the Russian revolution of 1917 and some other political era of Soviet Union. The characters and events have been portrayed in the guise of some animals and their activities.

I am not a student of literature but love to collect literary works. Many days ago, I collected the book from a local book selling store in Paris but could not manage time to complete reading it. Recently, I have taken a week-long break from my office and planned to pass the days by reading books and watching movies. As part of the plan, I took the book and read it. This was a small book and did not take a long time for me to complete the reading. It took only around two hours for me to finish the book. In the first day of my leave, I passed the morning by watching a comedy movie. Then I took my lunch and after the lunch started reading the book. I started with the book around 3.00pm and completed it by 5.00pm. It was really an interesting one and later I found similarities with some of the historical events of the then period.

I have a hobby of collecting books from bookstores and I prefer to have a classic book. Like the other days, I was seeking some books and found this one. I asked the seller about the book, but he was unable to provide me with a complete idea about the book. Later, I checked a few pages and it appeared interesting to me. So, I bought the book and kept it on the bookshelf to read later. But I was unable to manage time to be with it. In fact, my occupational engagement allows me less time for recreational activities. I forgot to mention that I am a journalist and work for a local news agency. And thus I have to remain busy around the days and weeks. I took a leave of seven days after working for around four consecutive months. Actually, the leave was necessary for me to be relaxed.

The entire book is special in every aspect. I have never read such a satirical novella before. The writer has expressed his political stance on the book and criticised the opponents in all possible manners. But he was correct in some senses. The political issues, that he criticised, were really impractical. Many of the commoners had to suffer for the unwise decision of the politicians at that time. The dictatorship was on the rise which led to many unwanted situations. In fact, the plot has severely criticised Stallone and his associates for misguiding the people in an artistic manner. Besides, the writing approach is wonderful. I have never thought that human issues could be represented with the participation of animals. It appears as a special event to me. So, I am amazed by the book.

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