Speaking Part 2
Describe
a couple you know who have a happy marriage.
You
should say:
Who they are
How you know them
What they usually do together
And how you feel about their marriage
Sample Answer
If
someone asks me what I treasure most in my life, my answer would be one and
only – my family, who are not only my
pillar of strength and support but also inspire me in many
ways. I wouldn’t have become who I am today without my parents’ guidance and
their love for me, and, of course, for each other. I will never get tired of my
friends telling me how awesome and adorable my parents are despite both being
almost 60. According to them, my parents are real-life relationship goals. My
dad, an intelligent, thoughtful, strong and honorable man to the core, started
his own business 20 years ago and has been working hard to achieve what he
deserves. He’s married to a beautiful, loving and strong-willed woman
who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
My
parents have known each other for almost five decades and been pretty much in
love all that time. They usually tell us their legendary stories from when they
were high school sweethearts until tying
the knot and living their happily
ever after, which often gets exaggerated though
none of my siblings have ever complained. Though my parents work in different
fields, they tend to seek the other’s input and opinions on numerous cases. My
dad always says mom is his greatest cheerleader in everything he does and she
tells us he is her rock. One thing I have noticed about my parents is honesty
and openness in the way they communicate. Just like any other couples, mom and
dad have also experienced many difficulties but how they handle them is what
makes them stronger. I am so grateful to have been born and raised in the
family full of love where I can feel it every time coming home. It is hard to
put into words all they have inspired in me. They have molded and shaped
me into the person I am today and who I hope to be in the future.
Vocabulary for Cue Card
Pillar
of strength: a person who
can be relied on to give a great deal of support and comfort
Eg: My mother is my pillar of strength.
Strong-willed: determined to do what you want
to do, even if other people advise you not to
Eg: John is a strong-willed man who would
do anything for his loved ones.
Speak
one’s mind: express one’s
feelings or opinions frankly
Eg: Rose spoke her mind to her father.
Tie
the knot: get married
Eg: Rose and John decided to tie the knot
in December.
Exaggerate:
to make something seem
larger, better, worse or more important than it really is
Eg: She exaggerated her sad story to gain
attention.
Mould:
to strongly influence
the way somebody’s character, opinions, etc. develop
Eg: Children should be taught to molud
their characters from a young age.
Speaking Part 3
1If you are 35 years old without marriage, do you still
waiting for your true love? Why?
I
would say it might be the case since I’d prefer to stay single rather than end up with the
wrong person. It is not a surprise, I believe, because there are plenty of
people who still enjoy their every moment without a life partner. On the one
hand, the number of divorces or unhappy marriages have been increasing
tremendously over the years and its consequences are upsetting such as dysfunctional family, domestic violence, child neglect and
the list could go on. On the other hand, people can find happiness in different
places and activities without committing their life to one particular person,
especially those who aren’t worth it. Therefore, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than
what I deserve.
2Who will pay for the wedding cost? Man or woman or
both? Why?
Budget
planning for weddings can be an extreme headache and deciding who pays what
might not be easy since there are tons of expenses to cover such as the rings,
floral arrangements, honeymoon and so on. Hence, I believe depending on each
couple’s financial status, they should carefully discuss and choose a
cost-splitting option that works best for them. For example, if both are financially abundant,
they can share the cost equally. Otherwise, one who is more well-off can cover
a greater portion of the expense.
3What is the best age to get married?
I
don’t believe that there is a right time for anything, marriage included. It’s
more about the maturity of the two
people than the age itself, I think. People mature at different rates,
physically and emotionally, and not until after they can fully acknowledge
their life issues and handle them with rationale and thorough consideration,
are they ready to get settled and find happiness in their marriage life.
Besides, financial situation also plays a significant part in this once-in-a-lifetime decision.
Many divorces have been directly resulted from the lack of money or financial
insecurity. Therefore, only when people can fully support themselves, should
they consider to start a family.
4Do you think weddings in your countries waste lots of
money?
It’s
absolutely a yes to me. Maybe I’m a minimalist, therefore, I consider weddings
one of those occasions when people are willing to pour money down the drain
with exorbitantly high and unnecessary items and ceremonies. For example, in
XYZ, where I come from, couples tend to have a huge reception where hundreds of
guests are invited while, in my opinion, it should be an intimate one where
people can share and celebrate the delight of
life with their family and close friends only. In addition, other wedding
expenses including floral arrangements, invitations, photography, costumes and
so many more also cost people more than they should since I believe they’re
more show than substance.
5Why use lots of money for weddings?
I
myself can hardly understand why couples are constantly spending an outrageous amount
of money on their weddings but I may have some thoughts. First of all, it’s a
once-in-a-lifetime event, at least for most people, hence, they want to have a lavish celebration
which no one can ever forget. Whether it’s a wedding invitation or reception
venue, everything has to be of top quality. Secondly, big weddings might be a
tradition in some countries. It’s customary in many cultures to have several
ceremonies and celebrations in order to have a fulfilling married life. Last
but not least, they can afford it. Some well-off couples love to show off their
wealth and wedding is an ideal occasion.
6In a traditional family in your country, what male do
in the family? And what about female? Why?
It
comes as no surprise that women are still responsible for most of the housework
in a family, traditional or not. Even though gender
equality is actively promoted in modern society, there is
still an imbalance in
household chores division. Housewives take care of almost everything from
cooking, laundering, dish washing to house cleaning while their husbands are
only concerned with some hard work occasionally such as mending pipes or
gardening.
7Do you think man should take care of baby? Why?
Both
mother and father have fundamental roles
in a child’s development from birth through adulthood, I believe. Hence, men
should be more active in raising kids since they can boost their children,
intellectually and socially. Research has shown that children who have a close
father-child relationship are likely to have better social skills and fewer
behavioral problems since they are more emotionally secure. Meanwhile, a
distant or non-existent father-child bond could take
a horrendous toll on a kid’s self-esteem and self-belief.
Thus, if you want to raise a well-rounded kid, pay attention to them.
8Do you think man should do housework? Why?
Housework
is definitely not women’s sole responsibility and men should share domestic
chores with female members in family for his own good as well as others’.
Becoming more disciplined and independent is the very first benefit when men
take care of their own housework. Most men, especially wealthy ones, prefer to
have their housemaid do all the work from cleaning the house to cooking.
However, what if she gets sick or has emergency issues, are they willing to go
out with dirty socks? Hence, no one can look after you better than yourself.
Furthermore, they are likely to become more understanding and thoughtful
husbands. Men who are not shy away from “housewife’s duties” will be more
well-prepared for married life since they don’t mind rolling up their sleeves
to help their family.
9What kind of traditional wedding in your country?
In
XYZ, we celebrate weddings like most parts of the world, except with some extra
special features in our ceremonies and costumes. Normally, a bride will be
dressed in a white gown with an elegant bridal
veil to complete her dreamy and stunning look. She will be accompanied by
several bridesmaids who are usually her close friends or relatives. Meanwhile,
tuxedo or suit is a groom’s attire in this
special event and he also has his best man carry the wedding rings. In
addition, we do have our traditional wedding costumes which are far more
sophisticated and cumbersome to wear,
however, some couples still prefer them at other minor ceremonies beside the
main one at the church.
Vocabulary for Speaking Part
3
Roll
up one’s sleeves :
prepare to fight or work
Eg: John rolled up his sleeves and began
the space coding venture.
Fundamental: serious and very important;
affecting the most central and important parts of something
Eg: Heart and lungs are the fundamental
organs of human body
Take
a toll on: to have a bad
effect on somebody/something; to cause a lot of damage, deaths, suffering, etc.
Eg: The natural disaster took a toll on
Chennai in 2004.
Horrendous: extremely unpleasant
Eg: The roads leading to the village were
horrendous.
Imbalance: a situation in which two or more
things are not the same size or are not treated the same, in a way that is
unfair or causes problems
Eg: Recruitment of women employees will
reduce the gender imbalance in the company.
Outrageous: very unusual and slightly shocking
Eg: She took an outrageous decision.
Lavish: large in amount, or impressive, and
usually costing a lot of money
Eg: Rose wanted a lavish wedding.
Delight: a feeling of great pleasure
Eg: I was delighted to see my
grandparents after a long gap.
Maturity: the quality of thinking and
behaving in a sensible, adult manner
Eg: Rose was mature enough to forgive
him.
Once-in-lifetime: very special because you will
probably only have it once
Eg: It was a once-in-lifetime opportunity
to meet the king of Bollywood.
Abundant: existing in large quantities; more
than enough
Eg: There was an abundance of wealth in
his time.
Well-off: having a lot of money
Eg: Rose belongs to a well-off family.
End
up with: to finish
with the possession of someone or something or in the company of someone or
something
Eg: I ended up having a coffee with my
colleague.
Dysfunctional: not working normally or properly
Eg: The machine is dysfunctional from
last week.
Domestic
violence: family violence
Eg: In the olden days, there was a high
rate of domestic violence
Child
neglect: a form of
child abuse, and is a deficit in meeting a child’s basic needs, including the
failure to provide adequate health care, supervision, clothing, nutrition,
housing as well as their physical, emotional, social, educational and safety
needs
Eg: The punishment for child neglect is
10 years.
Settle
for anything less: commit
to a person just because you feel like you can’t do any better
Eg: Rose will not settle for anything
less than her status.
Veil: a covering of very thin transparent
material worn, especially by women, to protect or hide the face, or as part of
a hat, etc.
Eg: The bride lifted her veil with both
hands.
Accompany: to travel or go somewhere with
somebody
Eg: My friend accompanied me to the park.
Attire: clothes
Eg: I will change my attire, once the
drama is over.
Cumber
some : large and
heavy; difficult to carry
Eg: These goods are cumbersome. We need 2
more people to carry
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