Describe a news story you found interesting

The cue card

Describe a news story you found interesting. You should say:

• what the story was about
• when and where you heard about it
• why it caught your attention
• and explain why you found it interesting

You have 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1 to 2 minutes.

🎙 Practise this card with the examiner

Notes you could make in 1 minute

Write key words only, one line per bullet point:

• whale rescue
• news app, last winter
• volunteers, 2 days
• people working together

Band 7+ sample answer

A news story I found really interesting was about a group of whales that got stranded on a beach in Western Australia last winter. I first saw it on a news app on my phone while I was on the bus, and then I followed it closely on TV over the next couple of days.

The story was that about forty pilot whales had swum into shallow water and become stuck on the sand. Nobody was completely sure why, but scientists said it sometimes happens when one whale gets sick or confused and the rest of the group follow it.

What caught my attention was the response. Hundreds of volunteers turned up, including local families, surfers and even tourists, to help wildlife officers. They spent two days in cold water keeping the whales wet and upright, and then they used special slings and boats to guide them back out to sea. In the end, most of the whales survived, which seemed almost impossible at the start.

I found it interesting partly because I didn't know much about whales before, so I learned a lot from the experts who were interviewed. But mainly I liked it because it was a positive story. So much of the news is about conflict or disasters, and this was about ordinary people coming together and making a real difference. It reminded me that people can be incredibly generous with their time, even for animals they'll never see again.

🔊 Listen to the sample answer

About 243 words, or roughly 2 minutes at a natural speaking pace.

Useful vocabulary for this topic

• to make headlines
• a heartwarming story
• to catch my eye
• a joint effort
• to follow a story closely
• against the odds

Why this answer works: it covers every bullet point, tells a short story with specific details (names, places, numbers), uses a range of tenses, and finishes with the "explain" point, which is where you show your best vocabulary.

Follow-up and Part 3 questions

Examiner's follow-up (Part 2): Do you usually follow the news?

Part 3 discussion questions:

• How do most people get their news today?
• Can people trust the news they see on social media?
• Should children watch the news?
• Is there too much bad news in the media?

Answer Part 3 questions in 3–4 sentences: your view, a reason, an example, and the other side.

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• Describe something you bought recently that you are happy with
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