Waiting & Working under time pressure

C1 Advanced · Speaking Long Turn · Cambridge Ready original exercise

Choose two of your three photographs, compare them and answer both printed questions in about a minute. After that, you get around 30 seconds to respond to one quick question on your partner's photographs.

Choose two of the photographs and compare them. Say why the people might be waiting, and how they might be feeling about the wait.

Let's start with you. Here you can see people waiting in different situations.

Waiting

Passengers waiting at a crowded airport gate, some asleep on their bags

https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/f92071a193bd118bbf8a3d4990ed7a8025d67a8465986b58879d6b71b0b0db93.avif

candid documentary photograph, passengers of all ages waiting at a crowded airport departure gate, some asleep on their bags, others staring out at the planes, seen from low among the rows of seats, behind them a tall window onto a plain all-white plane with no markings, a bare white ceiling, plain unbranded bags and backpacks, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark

People queuing outside a bakery early in the morning

https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/7f671186cf7ed268929cdb01f58fd24f1a66942a4b2d82a9c09bc1e4b9d81ca3.avif

candid documentary photograph, a long, patient queue of people outside a small neighbourhood bakery early in the morning, breath visible in the cold air, seen from the side along the queue, people in plain dark coats, the bakery's bare whitewashed wall and an open door with warm light inside, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark

A young man waiting alone at a café table and checking the time

https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/2e111bc9966058701d22fda20b46a3bf52c53a1ac3909750ac2335ab82eb6213.avif

candid documentary photograph, a young man sitting alone at a café table with two cups, checking his watch and glancing towards the door, slightly anxious, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark

Which of these situations would test your patience most? (Why?)

Why might the people be waiting?

How might they be feeling about the wait?

Choose two of the photographs and compare them. Say why the people might be under pressure, and how well they might perform in these conditions.

Now it's your turn. Your photographs show people working against the clock.

Working under time pressure

Chefs rushing to plate dishes in a busy restaurant kitchen

https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/0b1d368580bd3c700ae3ee89bf4c8af5f525c789a6c4b39db5a222f672c26bbd.avif

candid documentary photograph, young cooks in plain white T-shirts and plain white aprons rushing to plate dishes on a steel counter in a hot, busy restaurant kitchen, steam and movement, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark

A student surrounded by books and notes in a library

https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/30e8e15d745f996d9e0e488acbc0fa16056f566dc5693001ed546fabd6a644c0.avif

candid documentary photograph, a university student surrounded by open books and scattered notes at a library table, typing fast on a laptop, the library nearly empty, wearing a plain grey T-shirt with nothing printed on it, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark

Florists preparing a large order of wedding bouquets

https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/63e69993333cd6e5a1af81808fc34ab37d66a1d51c384ef1750611d62e19db32.avif

candid documentary photograph, two florists working quickly to finish a large order of wedding bouquets on a crowded workbench in a flower shop, buckets of flowers everywhere, both wearing plain black aprons with nothing printed on them, bare walls, natural light, shot on 35mm film, no print, logos or writing on anyone's clothes, no signs or labels with readable text, no text, no watermark

Do you work better when you have a deadline? (Why? / Why not?)

Why might the people be under pressure?

How well might they perform in these conditions?

In this next section, you'll each get three photographs. You'll pick two and talk about them by yourself for roughly a minute. Then I'll ask you a short question about your partner's photographs.

Answer this Speaking task out loud and an AI examiner marks it on the official Cambridge Speaking criteria, with what you did well and what to fix next.

Practise this Speaking task free online: solo with exam timers and a self-recorder, as a live mock Speaking test with a partner over a video call, or as a full three-person mock exam — a real examiner reads the official examiner script to Candidates A and B. Rooms are invite-by-link; partners can join without an account.

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