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 favor 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.
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?
The parents can teach children what a risk is through some mock drills like they should make the children participate in various mock drills which happen throughout various cities. Apart from this, they can show them content on social media and various other platforms where people take risks and they paid the price. Moreover, a parent should let children participate in various awareness programs where civil society aware the general public regarding the disastrous repercussions of taking risks.
2. What risks should parents tell their children to avoid?
Those risks can jeopardize the health and life of children, 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 that way they gain confidence whereas when it is about harming yourself physically and mentally it could lead the children towards 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 this conviction that risk-taking movies provide thrill and excitement. Moreover, 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 kinds of movies.
4. What kinds of sports are dangerous but exciting?
There are various sports which are dangerous but exciting. One of them is bungee jumping in which you fall from a height that seems exciting, but that is dangerous. Many water sports are also dangerous, like river rafting which seems exciting because of various twists and turns, however, it is dangerous 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 very popular in my country because people watch them and they feel excited and some of the youngsters even try to copy the famous superstars who do action.
7. Do you think it is a good thing if a leader likes to take risks?
In my opinion, taking risks is important 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 which could improve the lives of people should be taken and the leaders must refrain from taking those risks which could tarnish the physical and mental health of people.
8. Do you think men and women will make different choices about risk-taking?
A few decades back, the risk-taking appetite of men was higher than that of women. However, the 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 family before taking a risk.
9. What about the young and old?
There is no denying this conviction that as we grow old, our risk-taking appetite declines. When we are youngsters, we have a lot of adrenaline rush, and that empowers us to take risks. So, the risk-taking tendency of a youngster is high as compared to old people.
