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An incident from history that has influenced you

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 274 with Model Answer:

Describe an incident from history that has influenced you.

You should say:
  • when and where it happened
  • how you heard about this incident
  • what it was
and say how this event influenced you.  

[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:
I was overwhelmed by the news that my country, Sri Lanka, has become free of Malaria. Earlier, it was one of the most prevalent health issues that claimed lots of lives. But now the declaration of the state being free from the disease was a historical event for the nation.

The declaration came in September of 2016 that Sir Lanka is free from Malaria. This was the certification from the World Health Organization. This was really a remarkable achievement for the nation. In the mid of 20th century, Sri Lanka was one of the most malaria-affected nations in the world. Studies found that the disease was caused not only by mosquito rather some mosquito-borne parasite. Anti-malaria campaign in the country was successful. Mobile malaria clinics played a great role in this case and those were deployed in the Malaria prone areas. Immediate treatment and destruction of the mosquito hotbeds mostly reduced the prevalence of the disease in Sri Lanka.

I was not much aware of the incident. But later the issue was highlighted in mass media and thus I came to know about the matter. Most importantly the campaign was conducted under the public health category and the people were made aware of the disease and its prevention. But it took the time to reach the goal of reducing the disease. In fact, the island nation has long been affected by this disease and experienced some detrimental impacts. So, when the declaration came from the WHO, it was a matter of joy for everyone including me (though I came to know about the event a couple of days later). The news was telecasted on almost all the television channels and appeared on the newspaper front pages because it was an amazing achievement for the entire nation.

Malaria elimination was one of the greatest achievements for Sri Lanka after battling with the political crises. So, everyone was happy with this event. Being an island nation, Sri Lanka suffered a lot from malaria. A good number of her people got affected while many of them lost their lives for the disease. But the nation has prevented the disease with bravery. This is really a matter of courage and sincerity. Though this is a small country surrounded by water, the inhabitants are brave enough to deal with the most serious conditions. The matter was a dramatic gain for the nation. The achievement did not come overnight. Formulating policy for eliminating the disease was the key obstacle and its implementation was also tougher. Working in line with the strategy was almost impossible.

I was greatly influenced by this news. In fact, I am also a victim of malaria. A couple of years ago, I got affected by this disease. Since I was sick, I could not attend to my academic activities. As a result, I had to retake the semester at my graduate college. Besides, my health declined to a great extent. I became too weak to walk. It took about two consecutive months for me to recover from the illness. Hence, the news was of great importance to me. I know how exactly it feels to struggle with the disease. I was overwhelmed with joy that nobody has to fall ill like me. Actually, everybody wants a healthy life and elimination of malaria has made it possible to a great extent.



Model Answer 2:
This is a nice topic indeed and thank you for this. I can recall the earthquake of 2009 that took place in central Italy and for this topic, I would like to talk about it. It had some devastating impacts on the local people of my country while I was abroad for some business purposes. Some of the adjacent villages near the epicentre suffered the most during the shake. A notable number of people lost their lives and their properties were damaged. 

I was in England to have some deals with an English company to expand our business there. So, I came to know about the event on a television broadcast. In fact, I came to know about the event around two hours later. My family tried to call me about the incident but they could not reach me right then as the telecom network was damaged too. Later on, I made the call and knew all the details.

In 2009, the L’Aquila earthquake hit Abruzzo. The magnitude of the earthquake was too heavy for the local structures to cope with. It was a 5.9 magnitude earthquake and the epicentre was near L’Aquila. Since this is a remote place and surrounded by villages, most of the properties belonged to the villagers. Though there were a large number of foreshocks, people did not have the idea that it would be so devastating.

I was too much moved by the death incidence. Over 300 deaths were filed and thus it has become the deadliest one in the history of Italy. Besides, some major risks also prevailed there which appeared concerning for the local people. Government official and scientists were convicted with the charges of ignoring their duties in predicting the quake while it almost overturned everything there. Besides, there were criticisms around about the poor infrastructure across the areas. Everything had influenced me to a notable extent.

 

Idea generation for this Cue Card topic: 

"Describe an incident from history that has influenced you." 

Historical events sometimes shape the world and bring joy to many. But they are not always charming. These events teach us important lessons. And sometimes cast an influence on them as well. This cue card is about describing such an event that influenced you at some point. So, here are some hints for you to develop your own answer.

1. Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945 was an important event in the history of the country. The bombarding claimed around 80,000 lives and the people had to bear the negative impacts of the event for a long time.

2. During the cultural revolution tenure, the Great Famine took place in China. It had a detrimental impact on society. An enormous number of people starved. Nobody exposed truth fearing prosecution.

3. The death of Osama Bin Laden was an important historical event in the USA. This man was responsible for many of the terrorist incidents across the world and he was killed on May 1, 2011. A Navy SEAL team killed this terror that brought a wave of peace for every American’s heart.

4. The reunification of Vietnam was a great event in Vietnam history. Economic solvency appeared after the unification which is the best benefit of the process. Before the unification, the country experienced different types of ruling system.

5. Being an Islamic state Malaysia maintains some strict rules. It was a historical decision by a state in 1997 to keep the lights on during theatrical performances in theatre halls to prevent cuddling and kissing. I appreciated the decree.

6. The French Revolution was one of the most impressive events of French history. The 10-year long revolution reformed the ruling system and discarded the feudal ideas and absolute monarchy of Louis XVI. The brave French people changed the entire political scenario.

7. The German Student Movement in 1960 created a different way of thinking among German students. The students protested against the universities to focus on their needs. Before the movement, universities delivered degrees alone.

8. The independence of India from the British colonial rule was the greatest event. It was in 1947 India received the independence. This is a cherished moment for Indians and I enjoy the Independence Day celebrations to the last minute.

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