Cue card о смене мнения строится по схеме «до и после»: прежнее мнение, событие, которое его изменило, и нынешнее положение. Past perfect («she'd joined the club») и выражения вроде «it turned out» главные инструменты этой карточки.
Cue card
Describe a time when you changed your mind about something.
You should say:
what you changed your mind about
what your original opinion was
why you changed your mind
and explain how you feel about it now.
Заметки за 1 минуту
- what: joining the university debate club
- before: arguing for its own sake; terrified of speaking in public
- why changed: roommate dragged me along, members had practised, kind feedback, first win
- now: help run the club; confidence can be built; calmer in speaking tests
Пример ответа (около 2 минут)
I'd like to talk about the time I changed my mind about joining my university's debate club.
When I first heard about it in my first year, I was completely against the idea. I thought debating was just people arguing for the sake of arguing, and, to be honest, I was terrified of speaking in front of an audience. Even answering a question in class made my hands shake, so voluntarily standing up and arguing with strangers sounded like a nightmare.
What changed my mind was my roommate. She'd joined the club and kept telling me how much it had helped her, and eventually she just dragged me along to one session to watch. I noticed that most of the members weren't natural speakers either; they'd simply practised. A few weeks later I agreed to try a practice round, and although my first speech was a disaster, the feedback was so kind and so useful that I came back the next week.
About two months later, my team won our first small competition, and I remember feeling that something in me had changed. I'd always thought confidence was something you're born with, but it turned out to be something you can build.
Now I'm actually one of the people who run the club, and I'd say joining it was one of the best decisions I've made at university. It's also the reason I feel much calmer about speaking tests like IELTS.
Полезные слова и выражения
| Выражение | Значение |
|---|---|
| be against the idea | быть против идеи |
| for the sake of | ради |
| terrified of | до ужаса бояться |
| drag someone along | затащить кого-то |
| natural speakers | прирождённые ораторы |
| a disaster | провал |
| something you're born with | что-то врождённое |
| it turned out | оказалось |
Как отвечать
- Ярко опишите прежнее мнение: «I was completely against the idea».
- Привяжите перемену к человеку или событию: «What changed my mind was...».
- Past perfect для предшествующих событий: «She'd joined the club», «they'd simply practised».
- «I'd always thought..., but it turned out...» самая сильная финальная конструкция.
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Part 3: вопросы для обсуждения
Why do people find it difficult to change their minds?
Partly pride. Changing your mind can feel like admitting you were wrong, and nobody enjoys that. People also tend to look for information that supports what they already believe, so they rarely hear the other side properly.
Is changing your mind a sign of weakness or strength?
Strength, I'd say, as long as it's based on new evidence or experience. Someone who never changes their mind isn't strong; they've just stopped learning.
Who influences young people's opinions most?
Can social media change people's opinions?
Стратегия Part 2: руководство по cue card. Дальше: руководство по Part 3.
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