IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Animals are some of the most beautiful creatures in the world. Although they are abundantly seen in their natural habitats, zoos paved a way for people to look at them. 

I perpetually watch the National Geographic and Discovery channels that have episodes dedicated to animals which educate common people of their ecology. This interest drove me to visit many zoos in my life and last year I had a chance to see some great animals in the California national zoo. I had seen several animals in the zoo, but rhinos stole the show for me. The rhinoceros is an extraordinary animal with a majestic horn right up on their noses. There are diverse kinds of rhinos across the world such as white, black and Indian rhinos and the zoo displayed white and black rhinos to the visitors.

The area where the rhinos are residing is filled with many plants, giant rocks and a small pond resembling a forest to make the rhinos feel comfortable. Rhinos are herbivorous so the visitors had a chance to feed them some plants and take pictures alongside. The kids were utterly excited to watch the rhinos take leaves away from their hands and eat them appetizingly. The baby rhinos were adorably following their mums and falling abruptly chasing a fly. I have never seen rhinos so closely before and it was an entertaining experience for me. 

It was an interesting experience as I had the opportunity to visit and see rhinos playing around even though they look scary. When I fed some leaves to the baby rhino, it almost seemed as if it was grateful for it and excitedly grabbed all the leaves from my hand. I clicked some pictures and cherish the experience to this day. I wish I could go back to that day. 

 

Vocabulary:

1. Perpetually – constantly
2. Majestic – having impressive beauty
3. Residing – living
4. Utterly – absolutely
5. Appetizingly – stimulating the appetite

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Part 3 Follow Up - Questions & Answers

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1. What kind of animals do people have in their home?

People usually have dogs and cats as pets. Dogs are said to be the mostly friendly and kind pets around the world while cats are alluring and cute. Some also adopt cows, piglets and horses and treat them as family. It is common to see a pet in almost every household in recent times.

2. Tell me about an animal you saw which is very rare in your hometown.

Living in the southern part of India, we do not see horses frequently. It is only when we travel somewhere where there are stables or farms which have adopted horses, do we see them. I travelled to Delhi last month where I got a chance to see a horse and climb on its back for a quick ride.

3. Why do people have pets in their homes?

Pets provide company to people and are comfort companions. They are also the reason many go out for a walk and socialise with others. People who love animals choose to adopt one and care for it. Pets help manage loneliness and stress by playing with us and staying by our side all the time. They are the only ones who love us unconditionally.

4. Do you think people do not respect animals these days? What about 10 years ago?

I don’t think respect for animals increased nor declined over the past decade. People domesticated animals and treated them as one of them for years and continue do so nowadays. However, there are people who hunt animals for fun and to make money, which needs to be eradicated by the governments.