Describe a risk you took that you thought would lead to a terrible result but ended up with a positive result IELTS Cue Card
IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC
Describe a risk you took that you thought would lead to a terrible result but ended up with a positive result
You should say:
- When you took the risk
- Why you took the risk
- How it went
- And explain how you felt about it
Sample 1
There is no denying this conviction that taking risks is highly important for leading our lives toward an impressive growth trajectory. I have taken various risks in my life, and some of them were successful, and some of them were abject failures. Today, I would like to discuss a risk that brought good results.
I took the risk three years back when I was at home because of a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. I lost my job then because my employer did not allow me to work under the work-from-home option. I was free and did not have money to make ends meet, so I decided to run the business to earn a livelihood.
So I had no option but to do something, so I launched a digital marketing company. For that, I took online training and paid 50,000. It was a considerable risk for me because I took that money as a loan from one of my relatives, and losing it would have jeopardized my future.
So I took that risk, and to my joy, it worked like a charm because, after the training, I got my first order within one week of launching my company. I did my work with determination, dedication, and discipline, and due to that, I earned goodwill, which helped me expand my business exponentially.
That decision to put money into learning a new skill worked in my favour and has helped me a lot. These days, I am a seasoned digital marketer, and the credit goes to the risk I took during the lockdown period.
Sample 2
I have taken many risks in my life, which I remember clearly, but one risk that is very hard-breaking and hard to believe in is cliff climbing. When I went to Kashmir for a solo trip, I climbed a massive cliff of 3000 meters high. It was a cliff named K2 Krumanjan. The cliff was very high and had a steep slope. It was a young mountain’s cliff and was entirely covered with snow.
Many stories were there of people who had slipped from the clip and ended their lives. The clip was steep and slippery, but I thought I could climb it. I used a good pair of Skink shoes, a good rope, and a hammer to climb it.
It took me five hours to climb that cliff, which was challenging because it was freezing there. I was covered entirely with five layers of clothes, which greatly increased my body weight, and climbing a cliff at that time was tough. This was a considerable risk, and I knew it could also end my life.
But I still took it, as I knew that the view from the mountain would be like heaven. So it happened: When I reached the top of the hill and looked around, I saw the whole of Kashmir covered in snow. Its trees, oversized lifts, and enormous cliffs looked small from that mountain.
I clearly remember seeing a lush, white-coloured beauty around me, which felt like heaven. The hard work I did for five hours was worth it, and I think it was tough to believe that I climbed that cliff alone. When I told my parents, I got scolded at first, but when I showed them pictures of the view I got from it, they were shocked to see it as it looked as much like heaven and was very beautiful from and was very beautiful to look at.
I stayed there for two hours. I had some hot water with me, and I drank it when I reached the top of the cliff. And I saw that beauty for just two hours, but still, my heart was not filled watching it. I wanted to watch it more, but I had to go down as the evening was falling. Otherwise, it would be much more dangerous to come down at night, as it could give me more risk than coming up.
So, I ended my trip after spending the most beautiful two hours of my life watching the surroundings from that cliff.
Sample 3
I have taken many risks in my life, but one risk I clearly remember was during my 10th-grade examination. It was time for the board examination, and I needed to prepare for my physics exam.
I clearly remember having three chapters of mine left to revise and one to do entirely, and I was terrified. It was late at night as I was on holiday after the biology exam. The consecutive day was the physics exam.
I panicked and scared, but my mom suggested a lovely idea. She told me that I could wake up the whole night and study and then go in the morning and take my examination. It would be hazardous.
I could also fall asleep during my examination, but I had some confidence in myself, so I did the show. I started studying, and I learned all night until 6 a.m. It was so that I completed all of my syllabus and revised it once.
I knew I was well prepared, but I didn’t realize that I was feeling sleepy. When I got outside my room and saw that it was already morning, and the sun was rising, my mother gave me a cup of coffee, which immensely helped me stay awake. Then I went for my examination, terrified that I would not fall asleep or forget anything, but it didn’t happen as I gave the examination very calmly and reasonably.
I knew the exam went well, and I slept for 7 hours when I returned home. After that, there was a 4-day holiday for the subsequent examination. At that examination time, I scored the highest marks in physics subject only as there were 99 out of 100 marks in my physics subject rather than any other subject. I was very proud of my decision; it helped me gain good marks without losing my confidence. I would not. I could not have left the work half-complete. It would not be perfect for me, and I would have failed the examination as it depends on the chapters only, which we do.
We don’t know how the examiner will grade the question paper. I think it was an excellent decision for me, but I won’t suggest making it again as it is a risk only to not sleep all night and study.
Sample 4
The risk I took that led to terrible results was participating in a football match wearing less compatible shoes, resulting in a foot fracture. I was in my 6th class, and we had a Physical Training class when my friends asked me to join a football match on the ground. I was ready to take a risk and played with them as they kept a bet for the winning team. I joined one of the teams, and we played against our seniors.
The game was going well, but I forgot to wear shoes for a football match, and one of my friends passed me the ball. I was ready to kick it, but it resulted in twisting my foot, and my bone cracked, and I got a fracture in my right foot; the next day, I took a holiday as my parents talked to my teachers, and they helped me to recover sooner, I was hospitalized for seven days and was given high protein diet. Luckily, I got cured in a few days, but it affected my studies.
I returned to school in a few days and could not cope with my studies as other students were more advanced. With lots of practice, I could catch the phase of my school studies. I told my friends and family about this incident, and they shared their views on this experience with me. My younger brother had undergone the same incident in school; he played badminton and wore sole shoes, resulting in twisting his leg.
We talked and discussed this incident a lot. After my fracture was cured, I bought a new pair of shoes with spikes and a new sports jersey for my football match; I prepared a lot for my football match and won it with shining colours. It created a sudden urge in me to build confidence. I will always remember this incident where I took a risk.
Follow-ups
Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card: “Describe a risk you took that you thought would lead to a terrible result but ended up with a positive result”.
1. How should parents teach their children what a risk is?
Parents can teach children what risk is through mock drills. For example, they should make the children participate in mock drills throughout various cities. They can also show them content on social media and other platforms where people take risks and pay the price. Moreover, parents should let children participate in various awareness programs where civil society makes the general public aware of the disastrous repercussions of taking risks.
2. What risks should parents tell their children to avoid?
Those risks can jeopardize children’s health and lives, so parents should tell them to avoid them. Taking risks in sports or study is different, and children must be encouraged to do that because they gain confidence. However, harming yourself physically and mentally could lead the children down the wrong trajectory, so parents should tell them to avoid those risks.
3. Why do some people like to watch risk-taking movies?
There is no denying that risk-taking movies provide thrills and excitement. Many people refrain from taking risks, and by watching these movies, they get flashes of inspiration to take risks in their lives. That’s why they prefer to watch such movies.
4. What kinds of sports are dangerous but exciting?
Various sports are dangerous but exciting. One is bungee jumping, where you fall from a thrilling but dangerous height. Many water sports are also harmful, like river rafting, which seems exciting because of various twists and turns. However, it is risky because a wrong fall can lead to physical damage.
5. Why do some people enjoy extreme sports?
Some people have this uncanny knack for participating in extreme sports because they get a lot of thrill and excitement. Moreover, in this modern era, the lives of the masses have become highly monotonous. So, through extreme sports, they get fun and spark back into their lives.
6. Are action films popular in your country?
Yes, action films are viral in my country because people watch them and feel excited, and some youngsters even try to copy famous superstars who do action.
7. Do you think it is good if a leader likes to take risks?
Taking risks is vital for a leader to lead his team towards an impressive growth trajectory. However, that risk should not be at the expense of people’s physical and mental well-being. So, any risk that could improve people’s lives should be taken, and leaders must refrain from taking those risks that could tarnish people’s physical and mental health.
8. Do you think men and women will make different choices about risk-taking?
A few decades back, men’s risk-taking appetite was higher than women’s. However, times have changed. Now, women rub shoulders with men in every field. So, if there is a choice about risk-taking, it is more or less the same. However, women are more emotional; sometimes, they think more about their families before taking risks.
9. What about the young and old?
There is no denying the fact that as we grow old, our risk-taking appetite declines. When we are youngsters, we have a lot of adrenaline rush, which empowers us to take risks. So, the risk-taking tendency of a youngster is high compared to an old person’s.
