Place cue cards come in many versions: a city, somewhere in nature, a building, a park. One well-prepared place story can be adapted to several of them.
The cue card
Describe a place you visited that you particularly liked.
You should say:
where it is
when you went there
what you did there
and explain why you liked it.
One-minute notes
- where: Khiva, Itchan Kala, west of Uzbekistan
- when: spring last year, with university group
- did: walked walls at sunset, minaret, local guide
- why: like a living museum, quiet at night, history felt real
Model answer (about 2 minutes)
The place I'd like to describe is Khiva, an ancient city in the west of Uzbekistan. In particular I'm thinking of Itchan Kala, the old walled town in the centre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I went there last spring with a group from my university. It was a study trip organised by our history department, and we spent three days there in total.
Most of the time we explored the old town on foot with a local guide, who told us stories about the khans and the caravans that used to stop there. The highlight for me was walking along the city walls at sunset. The light turned the clay buildings a kind of golden colour, and you could see the whole town from above. We also climbed one of the minarets, which was quite exhausting because the stairs are incredibly narrow and steep.
The reason I liked it so much is that it didn't feel like a museum, even though it basically is one. People still live inside the walls, kids play in the streets, and in the evening, when the tourists leave, it becomes really quiet. For the first time, history felt real to me rather than something from a textbook.
I'd definitely like to go back, maybe in autumn, when it's not so hot.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a walled town | a walled town |
| a World Heritage site | a World Heritage site |
| the highlight | the highlight |
| explore on foot | explore on foot |
| narrow and steep | narrow and steep |
| a living museum | a living museum |
| a sense of connection | a sense of connection |
| preserve | preserve |
How to answer
- Add sensory detail when you describe a place: what you saw, heard and felt.
- "The highlight for me was..." is a very strong Part 2 phrase.
- For a historical place, link to the past with "used to".
- Close with wanting to return: "I'd definitely like to go back...".
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
Why do people like visiting historical places?
I think it gives them a sense of connection with the past. Reading about history is one thing, but standing in a place where people lived hundreds of years ago makes it feel personal. It's also simply beautiful, of course.
Does tourism do more good than harm to historic cities?
It depends on how it's managed. Tourism brings money and jobs, which helps preserve old buildings, but if there are too many visitors, the local community can be pushed out and the place loses its character.
How can governments protect historical sites?
Should historical sites be free to visit?
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.
