IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3 Sample Band 9 – Describe an impressive story you heard from other people

Describe an impressive story you heard from other people

You should say:

• What was this story
• When did you hear about it
• Who told you this story
• And explain why you were impressed by it

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Band 9 Model Answer

Today I’m going to talk about a captivating and inspiring story that I heard from my brother who said he watched a programme on TV a few days ago. It is about a poor student who made it to university with the top marks.

It was when I was feeling down in the dumps and disorientated in my life that my brother told me the story, which gave me a great deal of motivation to keep on studying.

Following the plot of the story narrated by my brother, I was deeply touched and felt a sense of admiration for such a persistent boy. Although he was born into an impoverished family, and had to support his family by selling lottery tickets, he managed to cover his study expenses with the money he earned and finally got into university with flying colors. He was an exemplary role model and a huge source of encouragement for many disadvantaged students.

After the program, I promised with myself to make a more arduous effort in my study. I no longer slack off in my studies, and have been frequenting the library day in day out to acquire more knowledge to better prepare myself for the obstacles ahead. The story truly changed my outlook on life.

QUESTIONS FOR PART 3

What kinds of hooks that old people like to read?

Since I’m not an elderly person, what I’m going to say is just guesswork but old people are really into books which tell about the daily lives of ordinary citizens or those books which give them the chance to reflect on their life. This is because, they are at an age where spiritual well-being is of more importance, and many old citizens would choose books containing some philosophy or moral lessons to read. The reason I feel this way is they can not only can while away the time, they can also improve their personality and pass the experience they read onto their grandchildren.

Are you a good story teller?

To be honest with you, I’m bad at putting my ideas across so I rarely dare tell a story to anybody. To be a good storyteller, you have to be excellent at your language, have a broad knowledge and possess an intriguing voice as well. Those are the qualities I lack so you see; I am hopeless at describing something to others.

How do you think people will read in the future? = Does reading books become a less common activity because of ebooks?

I strongly disagree with this view. Although the advent of the internet gives us a wide an array of options when it comes to reading activity, like we can read ebooks on our laptop or Ipad, nothing can compare to the experience of holding a book in your own hands, and read it from cover to cover. Another point is that you can jump to the page you want to read by turning your fingers and browsing for the desired contents with your eyes, which is much more convenient and user-friendly than having to use a computer screen or a mouse to do the job