IELTS Speaking Task : A Quiet Place
IELTS Speaking Task 2
Describe a quiet place you like to spend your time in
- Where it is
- How you knew it
- How often you go there
- What you do there
- And explain why you like the place
In our daily lives we sometimes get so busy that we often forget to have some rest.
And then after a long and tiring spell of hard work, we feel exhausted.
So, we need some time of undisturbed rest, and we need a place where we are sure to get a tranquil environment.
My home is just the place that gives me a peaceful atmosphere. But, it is a house where my other family members also live.
So, it is not possible to have some peace when my children are around. And it is not their fault, as they are young and full of youthful energy. It is not in their nature to stay quiet even for a few minutes.
So, I was completely surprised by the serenity of Vaishnav temple when my friend Prakash took me there last year.
Since then I have been a regular visitor to that temple. I usually go there on Saturday mornings and stay there for 2-3 hours.
I sit in the garden that is in the temple precincts. Sometimes, I take spiritual books to read there.
And when I don’t have books with me, I just sit there and do meditation for some time.
These activities make me refreshed, and I can do them without any disturbance as the temple is on the outskirts of the city, and in morning hours only a few devotees would come there for prayers.
And there is an element of spirituality in the atmosphere at the temple. This is also an added attraction.
When I come home after my sojourn in the temple, I feel a great burst of energy inside me that I direct towards the task that awaits me at my workplace.
This temple is like my powerhouse , the source of my energy. And I can never skip my weekly visits to the temple, unless I find some other place that is equally peaceful and full of positive energy.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Is it hard to find quiet places in cities?
No, it is not. Since city-planners often overlook the importance of public spaces that are free from noise and less crowded, it is possible that we can’t find a quiet place easily.
But, I must say that we can find such places in our neighborhood if we just look around and observe keenly. This place could be a public garden or a temple or a church.
Once you find such a place, then you don’t need to look elsewhere.
Why is it quieter in the countryside?
Countryside is always without the hustle and bustle of a big city.
Here, the birds outnumber the human beings. So, you hear the song of birds every now and then.
And this acts like a soothing background music.
And suppose, there is no background music by birds, then the lack of it itself acts as peaceful silence.
Above all, less vehicles in the countryside keeps it free from noise-pollution.
Why do people go to quiet places?
In my opinion, everyone loves peace and relaxation.
A quiet place offers these both.
So people would go to such places and have some rest. This brief period of calm and serenity rejuvenates them.
Compared with young people, do old people prefer to live in quiet places?
Yes, they always do. As old people have less activities to do, they prefer spending their time doing devotional activities. And for this, they need peace.
Whereas, young people are always bursting with energy. They love the company of other people who have the same amount of energy in them. So that a quiet and secluded place would be quite oppressive to young people.
Why do some people not like quiet places?
Quiet places are good to have some rest and relaxation.
But too much peace is also very oppressive.
In such places, there is no human company to share our thoughts and pour our heart out.
So, people would prefer a busy locality where they find human beings to talk to , rather than living in a countryside where it is difficult to find human company.
Do you know other quiet places?
Other than the temple that I talked about, there is a small lake that is just at the other end of the city.
And there is one archeological site near the lake that is also a very peaceful place to spend your time in.
Apart from these, there are some churches and public gardens that are usually very peaceful and less crowded as very few people visit them due to their distant locations.
Do you need a quiet place when you are working?
Yes, of course. I need complete focus on the work I do. I am a banker and I need full concentration when I make big calculations.
I can’t afford to lose my focus as it will be a big financial disaster for me and my bank.
Why do people like to spend time in quiet places?
People need to imbibe positive energy that quiet places offer to them. In such places one can find some moments of relaxation. And for creative people, there is no best place other than a quiet place to have new ideas.
Do you know anyone who likes noise?
Unfortunately , yes. That person lives just next door.
She is the wife of my neighbor. This lady loves playing loud music during the morning hours. She plays noisy Indian movie songs on her music system. And it is quite irritating.
Describe a creative person whose work you admire
You should say
- who he/she is
- How do you know him/her
- What creative things he/she has done
- And explain why you think he or she is creative
Synonyms for ‘to admire someone’
I usually am very choosy person when it comes to praising someone. And I don’t idolize people too often.
But it was a completely different thing when I met Dr. Aashish Sharma.
For me, he is creativity personified. I tell you why.
First of all, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Dentistry. So he is basically an artist as dentistry is itself an art.
But this is not the only reason I consider him an artist and a creative person.
He is a voracious reader and a huge fan of non-fiction books.
He visits yearly book-fairs and attends book launching events at various bookshops.
At one such event, I met him when my friend Suresh introduced him to me.
And I thank Suresh for that as he introduced a gem of a person to me.
Dr. Aashish is a very humble person. We started talking about our similar interests in books and poetry. And we immediately hit it off.
And during the course of our conversation, I came to know about the blog he writes about books.
And before you admire his creativity in writing interesting book-reviews, you will love the way he has designed his blog.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that he is an amateur web-designer too.
And he is really unstoppable. He is a guitarist who plays romantic movie songs in his melodious voice.
Nowadays he is taking piano lessons from his music teacher. And soon we will get to hear sweet tunes from his piano too.
His father is a painter and his mother is a professor of English at a prestigious college. So, he may have inherited creativity from his parents.
But, this is not the case with everyone.
His creativity has its origins in Dr. Aashish’s insatiable curiosity about various topics. He is an autodidact whose sole ambition is to learn new things everytime.
This is why he is an imaginative person , and this makes him a very creative person.
Do you think you are a creative person?
Yes, I am. I like to invent new ways to do things and that, in my opinion, is creativity. As a banker, I have to play with numbers and it is a very monotonous work sometimes.
And I have to act as a public relations manager every now and then. In my conversations with clients, I use anecdotes and humorous quotes to lighten up the client’s mood.
This I consider a creative way to deal with clients.
Is it good for children to learn arts?
Yes, they must learn arts. And by ‘arts’ I mean to say a broad range of subjects, not just painting.
They should learn music, dance, oratory, craftwork, or any other creative subject they like.
This develops their cognitive skills. And through their art, they can express their emotions in creative ways.
What kind of jobs require people to be creative?
In my opinion, all the occupations require people to be creative.
For instance, a carpenter should think himself as a Leonardo Da Vinci. And he must make furniture in the same manner as the great artist created his famous painting ‘Monalisa’.
When people don’t use creativity in their jobs, they start losing interest in the work they do.
And as a result, we often get the products or final outcomes that are mediocre in nature.
But when they pour their heart and soul into their works, their creativity gives astonishing results.
Do you think leaders need to have creative ability?
Yes, this is the need of the hour.
Creative ability for leaders in any field means the skill to take decisions in a creative way.
It also means the ability to invent new ideas and the courage to execute them.
There are challenges in every field, be it business or politics.
And only those leaders succeed who are creative thinkers.