On a book cue card, many candidates lose time retelling the plot. Twenty to thirty seconds of plot is enough: spend most of your time on what the book gave you.
The cue card
Describe a book you read that you found useful.
You should say:
what the book is
when you read it
what it is about
and explain why you found it useful.
One-minute notes
- what: Atomic Habits, James Clear, self-help
- when: last winter, before exams, friend's recommendation
- about: small habits add up, 1% better, systems not goals
- why useful: daily study routine, phone away, still use it
Model answer (about 2 minutes)
I'd like to talk about Atomic Habits by James Clear. It's a non-fiction book about how small daily habits shape your life, and it's been translated into dozens of languages, although I read it in English.
I read it last winter, about two months before my university exams. A friend recommended it when I complained that I kept putting off revision, and I finished it in about a week, which is fast for me.
The main idea is that tiny improvements, even one percent a day, add up over time, and that it's more effective to build a system than to set big goals. For example, instead of saying "I'll study for five hours", you make studying easy to start by having your books already open on the desk.
The reason it was so useful is that I actually changed my routine because of it. I started leaving my phone in another room while I studied and doing just twenty minutes of English vocabulary every morning with my tea. Those twenty minutes didn't feel like much, but by the time the exams came I'd learned several hundred new words.
I still use some of those habits now, so I'd say it's one of the few books that has had a lasting effect on me.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| non-fiction | non-fiction |
| put off | put off |
| revision | revision |
| add up over time | add up over time |
| a routine | a routine |
| a lasting effect | a lasting effect |
| my attention is split | my attention is split |
| can't afford | can't afford |
How to answer
- Keep the plot short and the impact long: "The main idea is...", then "It changed the way I...".
- Give a concrete result from the book: a number, a habit, a change.
- If the book is in Uzbek or Russian, translate the title and name the genre.
- Show time with the past perfect: "By the time the exams came, I'd learned...".
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
Part 3: follow-up discussion questions
Do people read less than they used to?
I'd say people read just as much, but differently. We read constantly on our phones, messages and articles, but fewer people sit down with a long book, mainly because our attention is split between so many things.
Are e-books better than printed books?
They're more convenient, especially for students who can't afford lots of books. Having said that, many people, me included, remember more from paper, perhaps because there are no notifications interrupting you.
What kinds of books are popular in your country?
How can parents encourage children to read?
Part 2 strategy: the cue card guide. Next step: the Part 3 guide.
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
