CUE CARD
You should say:
Who it was
When it happened
and why he/she didn’t want to do it
How you encouraged him/ her
ANSWER
(Who it was)
Without doubt, good friends are especially important during times of crisis and turbulence. Today, I’m going to describe a time when I encouraged my best friend, Thao Linh, to overcome difficulties to achieve her parents’ long-held goal. We have known each other since high school and maintained this special bond till now. Thao Linh is a bright, carefree girl whose most special traits are a cheerful disposition and unflinching resilience.
(When it happened and why he/she didn’t want to do it)
I remember ever since high school, Thao Linh has frequently been urged by her parents to try to win a prize in the National Contest for gifted students. Apparently, this is a cumbersome challenge for all students and Linh was so overwhelmed by the thought of failing that she could not concentrate on studying for the competition. In fact, she confided in me that as she was eliminated in the last round in grade 11th and had to wait for the next year- which was also her last chance.
(How you encouraged him/ her)
At that time, I was always beside Linh and I tried to tell her that things would become brighter and she was strong enough to confront such a challenge. Therefore, instead of being disappointed and demotivated, Linh displayed a firm commitment to try harder, not only for herself but also to meet her parents’ expectations. As a result, in grade 12, she made a substantial improvement and won a place in the school team for the National Contest and eventually won the second prize in the contest. Even though it was her who received the prize, I felt the same joy to have cheered her up and sailed her through both emotional and academic setbacks.
VOCABULARY
1.turbulence [n]: a state of confusion without any order:
Eg: The era was characterized by political and cultural turbulence.
2. long-held [adj]: held (assumed, proposed, believed etc.) for a long time:
Eg: Her long-held belief betrayed her.
3. unflinching [adj]: not frightened of or not trying to avoid something dangerous or unpleasant:
Eg: It is a brave and unflinching account of prison life.
4. cumbersome [adj]: difficult to do or manage and taking a lot of time and effort:
Eg: Critics say that the process for amending the Constitution is cumbersome, but others defend it.
5. overwhelmed [adj]: to be “overwhelmed” means to get so much of something that it becomes a problem:
Eg: We are overwhelmed with data from every quarter, and our capacity to filter fact from fraud islimited.
6. confide [v]: to tell something secret or personal to someone who you trust not to tell anyone else:
Eg: As sisters, they have always confided in each other.
7. eliminate [v]: completely remove or get rid of (something):
Eg: A move towards healthy eating could help eliminate heart disease.
8. substantial [adj]: large in amount, value or importance:
Eg: Substantial numbers of people showed their support to the reform.
9. commitment [n]: the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.:
Eg: Customers believe in the company’s commitment to quality.
10. setback [n]: something that happens that delays or prevents a process from developing:
Eg: There has been a slight/temporary setback in our plans.
