IELTS Speaking Cue Card

I am a night owl and usually wake up pretty late. I have tried many times to make a habit of waking up early but it was unsuccessful. Here, I would like to talk about my friend who has the terrific habit of waking up early.

My college friend John always woke up early everyday no matter the day. Even if there was a holiday and we had nothing to do, he would wake up and go for a jog without the need for an alarm clock. Although he is not in college anymore and has a fulltime job which is quite taxing at times and keeps him working late at night, he still wakes up early in the morning as he did for the past 6 years. 

Initially, I had no idea that he was up at 5am daily as I used to wake up at 8am if there was a class and even later if it was a holiday. I noticed that he went for a run outside at 5am when I got up at the same time for a week straight to study for my exams. I was astonished when I heard him say it keeps him energetic even when he had a tiring day the day prior. 

I did try to wake up early a few times when we were in college and even asked John to help wake me up but I eventually slipped back to my old habit of sleeping until the late hours of the day. I have to say, it felt stupendous when I managed to get up at 5am as I had a lot more time on my hands and got many things done. I hope to try to develop this habit and join John soon in his morning jogs.

 

Vocabulary:

1. Terrific – outstanding
2. Taxing – physically or mentally demanding
3. Astonished – amazed
4. Stupendous - amazing

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Part 3 Follow Up - Questions & Answers

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1. What habits should children have?

I think children should have the habit of sleeping early and waking up early as well. They need to brush their teeth daily, do their homework stringently and be on their best behaviours most of the time. They should also have a habit of reading books or doing some recreational activities to stay energised.

2. What should parents do to teach their children good habits?

I think parents should teach their children the importance of having good habits from a young age. This will make a kid understand why they need to develop good habits. Parents should also sometimes reward their kids with little toys or a candy bar when they come up with a good habit and maintain it regularly.

3. What influences do children with bad habits have on other children?

Sometimes kids get easily influenced by their surroundings. For instance, if they see a kid throw a tantrum, they will also try to mimic and start sulking for something they want. They start to imitate the actions of kids and if they have bad habits, they will pick them up and might get habituated.

4. Why do some habits change when people get older?

Owing to hectic schedules after growing up, people often alter their habits. During childhood, because of the ample amount of time we have, it is quite easy to establish habits and maintain them. However, when we get older, because of college or work, we may not get enough time to keep up with the habits we have.