IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3 Topic: Describe a person that you admire

Describe a person that you admire

There is no doubt that life would be chaos without leaders. Steven is one of my class monitor in high school that his leadership is what I really admire.

Back then, our school organized a singing contest and every class must have at least one performance. After voting, our class decided that we would all sing the song called “Heal the world”. The class committee planned to have a three-week practice and asked if all of the classmates could stay a bit late after school. However, as usual, each person was busy with their own schedule. There was an intense argument between classmates and the class committee, especially with Steven, our current class monitor. Some of my friends claimed that the contest was just for fun that it was not necessary to spend lots of time for practice.

Steven, with his calm face, stood in front of the crowd and explained that because our class was divided into three groups: orchestra, choir, and dancers, it was difficult to practice together. He admitted that he was a perfectionist and wanted everything going well without planning carefully. However, he asked us to practice properly to set a tone for a whole class. It was true that we did not need to get the highest prize but “hard work always pays off”.

He executed a survey among classmates and together with the class committee, he planned again. Finally, the first two weeks, different groups practiced separately with a co-leader and the last week, we combined all three groups together for rehearsal. In the end, our class got the first prize in the singing contest and received good compliments from the judges.

Now he is a successful businessman. His leading skill indeed does not put people under pressure but lift them up from the pressure. He understands every situation and has a vision for every project. Therefore, I am so grateful that i have a chance to work with him.

Vocabulary

Back then (phrase) refer to a specific period of time in the past

Chaos (n) troublesome

To divide Sth into (v) to separate or be separated into parts

Hard work always pays off (phrase) the amount of effort expended to reach a goal determines what is achieved

To put SO under pressure (v) to face or enduring something such as pressure or a deadline

To lift SO up (v) to fill with high spirits or optimism

QUESTIONS FOR PART 3

1. What kinds of people can become role models?

Personally, a role model is a person who shows passion in their work and has the capacity to affect others by their passion. Through their perceived personal qualities, behaviors, or achievements, they influence others by serving as examples and inspire others to strive and develop.

2. What should schools teach to help students become better citizens?

Besides knowledge, I think behaviors towards people should be the first lesson for every student regardless of age, meaning to say they should respect older people and love friends through practical lessons as volunteer activities in orphanages, for example. Besides, as the young generation, students should raise awareness of environmental sustainability in order to protect the Mother Nature.

Vocabulary

Regardless of (adv) without mentioning

To raise awareness of (v) to be concerned about an issue

3. What can we learn from old people?

The elderly have great life-long experiences, both rewards, and mistakes. The common issue with most of the young is that even they are more dynamic and adaptable, the amount of experience they gained from the past 15 or 20 years is much less than old people who have lived for more 50 years. Therefore, it is necessary for them to ask for advice from older people to improve themselves and avoid failures. If they follow those pieces of advice, they can be more successful.

Vocabulary

The elderly (n) old people

To gain experience (v) to learn the lesson from mistakes

4. What can parents do to give children correct guidance?

To give correct guidance, parents should be role models by setting a good example through actions and words. Not only are children watching parents carefully, they also learn it quickly. Unfortunately, “do as I say, not as I do” is a common issue in most families nowadays, causing confusion to children between what they are taught and what they observe in real life. Therefore, it is very important for parents to review their own behavior and attitudes to have the best image in children’s eyes.

Vocabulary

“Do as I say, not as I do” (phrase) to only obey what others say, not to watch their actions

To set a good example for (v) to be a good person so others can look up to

5. In your culture, what kinds of people can be leaders?

In my culture, particularly, there are two qualities required as a leader. Firstly, they must be a pro in their major. It means those people must have good knowledge and practical experience in the field they are working on. They could troubleshoot and solve problems together with their teammates. Secondly, their passion inspires people in the team. Most of the leaders in well-known companies, whose age over 40 and long-term contribution, are usually responsible for leading positions so employees look up to them and are willing to follow their directions.

Vocabulary

To be a pro (adj) to be especially skillful in doing Sth

To troubleshoot (v) analyse and solve serious problems for a company or other organization

To look up to (v) to admire SO

6. Has there been a change in the characteristics that leaders should have?

It can be seen clearly that the qualities of leaders have been changing to adapt to the dynamic world today. For example, in the past, leaders were usually men, who were said to be able to command others while just sitting in his rooms. He could criticize anyone based on his own criteria. However, a leader in our modern world should be a person who can work effectively with everyone by good communication and inspire people in order to boost the best performance of the whole team. Besides, they should have the ability to unite everyone. If in the past, leaders were equal to bosses, today, leaders are supervisors.

7. Many women are earning more money now, does it mean that they can be leaders?

Earning money and the ability to become a leader are two different stories. Women can be good leaders because they have better soft skills in negotiation and communication than men so that they could give more flexible solutions to deal with conflicts and problems among teammates.