IELTS SPEAKING TEST
Part 2
Describe an ambition that you haven’t achieved
You should say:
- What it is
- Why you haven’t achieved it
- What you did
- And how you felt about it
Sample Answer
In our life, there are many goals that remain unattained.
These goals might be unrealistic sometimes. But, sometimes we feel as if we can achieve them.
The only problem is that we are not ready to pay the price for some ambitious goals.
In my childhood, I used to stand in awe of civil servants called the IAS.
IAS stands for Indian Administrative Service.
The IAS officers were like heroes to my mind in those days. And I was always dreaming of becoming an IAS officer some day.
But, it was not just a childhood dream. When I entered college, I started taking this ambition seriously.
There is an entrance test that we have to pass in order to get selected for the IAS post.
The test is in three stages. The first stage is a written test called Prelims.
The second stage is called Mains where one has to write a long essay on a particular subject.
And the third stage is called the Interview where a panel of retired IAS officers asks you questions and tests your ability.
In those days I would study 10 hours a day. I would eat a frugal meal and wake up at 5 in the morning.
For a year I prepared for the test, and then came the time of the Prelims exam.
I passed that test very easily. After that came the Mains exam. I chose History as my main subject. And fortunately I did well in that exam too.
But, in the interview , I could hardly speak in front of the experts’ panel.
And when the results came, I was very much disappointed as my name was not on the list of selected candidates.
I was 23 at that time. I could take the exam the next year. But, my family was passing through a very bad phase.
My father had just retired from his job, and my mother needed medical care for her kidney troubles.
In these circumstances, it was not possible for me to wait for another year and stay at home preparing for the exam.
I needed a job to support my family.
Luckily, I got a job as a clerk at a local bank.
Initially, it was not very easy to cope with my new circumstances. And I was quite upset for some weeks about my unfulfilled dream.
But, we have to move on and accept whatever destiny has decided for us.
Today, when I look back upon those days, I still feel a pang of regret for not achieving that dream.
But, I am also very happy that I have achieved the post of Branch Manager at the same bank after years of hardwork.
IELTS SPEAKING TEST
Part 3
What ambitions do children usually have?
Children , in my opinion, have dreams, not ambitions.
There is a very subtle difference between dreams and ambitions.
Children’s dreams are mostly unrealistic and imaginary ones.
In my country, if you ask a kid “what would you like to become when you grow up?”
Almost all the kids would say that they would like to become a movie-star or a cricketer.
Now, not everyone has the talent to become a movie-star or a sports celebrity. But, they nurture such dreams in their childhood.
Why are some people very ambitious in their work?
Perhaps some people have this competitive attitude and they want to move ahead of the others.
They measure their success in terms of a higher post or a higher salary. And to achieve this, they channelize all their energies into one task only, and that is to achieve big goals in life.
Why don’t some people have dreams?
Some people are simply satisfied with their station in life.
They don’t want to make any improvements. And they are happy even if their friends are getting ahead in their lives.
And there are some people, who believe in the futility of dreams as everyone has to die some day . So, why make so much fuss about what we have and what we don’t have. Their philosophy is to go with the flow.
How do people balance work and life?
I don’t know about people, but if I talk about myself, I do it in my own way.
I have made it a rule that I would never mix the work-life and family-life.
They both have their separate spaces during the day.
When I am at my bank, I forget about the home life.
And when I am with my family I don’t think about my office work.
This strategy has worked nicely till today.
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cover Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay