IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 296 with Model Answer:
[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:
Model Answer 2:
Describe a person who leads an exemplary life.
You should say:- who is he/she
- how old is he/she
- what he/she does for a living.
[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:
Leading a meaningful and exemplary life may seem very much attainable, but it is not such an easy feat for most people. It requires a lot of patience, virtue, humane qualities and mental strength. Mr Peter Strauss, among the people I know, is one such man who leads an exemplary life. For this topic, I will describe him here.
I live in an apartment in the new part of Nafplio in Greece, and Mr Peter Strauss is my good neighbour. He is a retired university professor and lives with his wife. He is a tall man with an amiable presence who can motivate people around him. Both of them have a very good relationship with their neighbours. I have known Mr Strauss for more than 5 years.
Mr Strauss is over 65. But even at his age, he looks fit and fine. In fact, he exercises regularly and follows a strict but balanced diet. Mr Strauss also loves to take part in adventurous activities. He often moves for hiking and other outdoor activities with me and some other people from our locality. The spirit he owns and shows is incredible.
He was a history professor at the University of the Aegean. He retired from his job a couple of years ago. However, he is still a part-time professor at a local college in our town and writes for a local newspaper. He also owns a small gift shop jointly with his wife. His wife primarily looks after the gift shop while he goes to the shop just after the evening to take charge of the sales and customer care.
I think Mr Strauss leads an exemplary life because he is a successful teacher, a loving father, a great husband, a skilled writer, an honest man with an acute sense of morality. He owns considerable wealth but had chosen to move to a coastal and beautiful area, away from the hustle and bustle of the city area. Instead of accumulating more wealth and making things more complicated, he had preferred to lead a life that has meaning. I heard that more than 50% of his earnings go to charity, and that is something that has really touched me. The way he and his lifestyle inspire people to be happy and contended instead of being rich is something I take as a sign for an exemplary life, something greater than just monetary success.
Model Answer 2:
I would like to thank you for this great topic. I believe that life is short and we have just one life to lead. This is why it is important that we make it meaningful and exemplary so that in the end we can leave the world with satisfaction, not with disappointment. A life that is exemplary to others is worth living but not all of us have the same expectations from life or the same way of thinking about life. This is why not all of us can lead a worthy life.
I know a man named Roberto Julius who leads an exemplary life. He began his life as a small businessman in Italy, and his determination, honestly, hard work and good qualities have helped him reach the peak of success - both financially and personally.
Mr Roberto, in my view, is a living example of patience, honestly, benevolence and struggle. I know him since my early childhood when he used to live in our neighbourhood in Verona. Mr Roberto is now around 53 years old. But he is extremely fit even at this age.
Mr Roberto is a businessman. In fact, he is a very successful businessman. He started his career as a small vendor, selling local-made gift items to tourists. With his talent, hard work, honesty and determination, he now owns at least 30 medium to large stores all over the country that sell many different types of products. He even owns three hotels in Italy - all located at prime tourist spots. However, he could still be found dealing with local gift items - the thing that he started his career with.
People adore the stories about him - stories about his struggling, honesty and determination to reach success, and they often cite them to inspire others to do something better in life. This is not a small achievement as a person, in my opinion. He used to sell small gift items, handicrafts and other knick-knacks to tourists and locals as a young boy, and he even helped poor people at that time when he was one of them. This is an example of a great mind. Mr Roberto Julius is a name of inspiration for the people who want to start entrepreneurship in Italy and help people by creating employment for them. He is a living legend in his locality. He now owns a substantial number of properties and a great amount of wealth. But he is still the same person he used to be when he was humble and poor.