IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Life is full of surprises and one of the best ones is when a friend makes an astounding visit. My best friend Dan lives in Canada and it’s been more than a year since I last met him. However, he planned a surprise meet with me last month on occasion of my birthday. 

On my birthday, I was out with my family having lunch in a restaurant called Sam’s Griddle in my hometown Mumbai, when I saw him pass our table. Initially, I thought it was someone that looked like him but to my astonishment, he came up to me with a cake in his hands singing ‘Happy birthday’. I was absolutely flabbergasted to see him and burst into tears of joy. I did not expect I would meet him there as I thought he was thousands of miles away. Apparently, my mother was in touch with him and planned this asking him to meet us in the restaurant. 

I was ecstatic to meet him after such a long time and decided to spend the rest of the day with him along with our college friend in our favourite café The Percolator. We talked for hours, reminiscing about our college days and the shenanigans we pulled on our teachers. We clicked some pictures and played air hockey which was our favourite game in college. I was over the moon as I did not anticipate my birthday to be so eventful. It is the best gift I have ever received and I hope I can give him a bigger surprise on his birthday.

Vocabulary:

1. Astounding – greatly surprising
2. To my astonishment – to my surprise
3. Flabbergasted – amazed
4. Ecstatic – feeling overwhelming happiness
5. Reminisce – recall (with pleasure) past events

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Part 3 Follow Up - Questions & Answers

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1. Why do friends meet regularly?

Friends meet up to socialise and spend time together as some people like going out with their friends rather than alone. In addition, friends become an important part of life and many share their happiness and hardships alike with them because they listen and act as support systems.

2. Are there any meetings that people need to plan in advance?

I think almost every meeting needs to be planned. If it’s an online meeting, an invite needs to be sent to the participants at least a day prior and if it is a doctor’s appointment, it has to be taken in advance. In addition, meeting someone outside one’s own city has to be planned to ensure the trip would be comfortable.

3. How are unexpected events beneficial for society?

There are many companies that organise surprise parties and events for people to celebrate special occasions. This generates menial jobs for many people who are in need of one. In addition, unexpected discoveries like finding an unexplored region or discovering a new plant species is advantageous for the world and its economy.