Cue Card
Describe an environmental problem in your area or country that concerns you
You should say:
You have 1 minute to prepare. Then speak for 1–2 minutes.
Use your preparation minute wisely
Jot one specific example or detail for each cue point. Specific details - names, places, dates - make answers memorable and demonstrate lexical range. Don't plan full sentences; plan content.
The environmental problem I'd like to describe is air pollution in Indian cities, particularly in the northern plains region that includes Delhi and several other major urban centres.
The scale of the problem is genuinely alarming. During winter months, Delhi frequently records air quality index readings that health authorities classify as severely hazardous - levels at which even brief outdoor exposure is not recommended, and at which prolonged exposure causes measurable respiratory and cardiovascular damage. Studies estimate that air pollution contributes to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually across the country, with urban populations and children being particularly vulnerable.
The causes are multiple and interlocking. Vehicle exhaust from the enormous and growing urban fleet contributes substantially, as does industrial emission from factories and power stations operating in and around cities. Agricultural burning - the practice of setting fire to crop stubble after harvest to clear fields quickly - creates acute pollution episodes in the months following harvest in Punjab and Haryana. Construction dust and the burning of waste also contribute materially.
What I think is needed is a combination of structural interventions that address causes rather than symptoms. The electric vehicle transition would significantly reduce transport emissions if paired with a decarbonised electricity grid. More rigorous enforcement of industrial emission standards, which currently exist on paper but are inadequately monitored, would help. Agricultural stubble burning requires economic alternatives for farmers - financial incentives and accessible machinery for mechanical stubble management - rather than simply penalties that create hardship without providing solutions.
The problem is severe enough that I think it warrants treating it as the public health emergency it functionally is.
Approximately 2 minutes spoken at natural pace · Targets Band 7.5
The examiner will ask 4–5 questions on the same theme. These require abstract, extended responses - aim for 3–5 sentences per answer.
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