Bad weather & Days by the water
B2 First · Speaking Long Turn · Cambridge Ready original exercise
Speak by yourself for about one minute, comparing your two photos. Afterwards, give a short answer to a question about the photos your partner described.
Can you compare the two photographs and tell us how the weather might be affecting the people's day?
You'll go first. Have a look at your photographs. They show people dealing with bad weather.
Bad weather
People hurrying along a city street under umbrellas in heavy rain.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/de6e89858b12b3b49e7e1dc5311eb542ac3170e52bfd20cdd5105d2203c585bf.avif
candid documentary photograph, people of different ages hurrying along a residential city street under umbrellas in heavy rain, plain stone house fronts with no shops, no signs and no neon, puddles on the pavement, grey hurried mood, 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 family playing a board game indoors while snow falls outside.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/a8012706214bdb595fea2e6bda8a544a8cd3faa1375a308aaf08fccf2f88142d.avif
candid documentary photograph, a family of four playing a board game on the living-room floor while thick snow falls outside the window, blankets and mugs nearby, cosy mood, 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
What do you like doing when the weather is bad?
How might the weather be affecting the people's day?
Please compare them and tell us why the people might be spending their free time by the water.
Now it's over to you. These are your two photographs. They show people spending time by the water.
Days by the water
Two friends paddling kayaks on a calm lake.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/66aa747bb9c83facf4077bd4d4edc1f9b091c8a29cf134f02a56cf4090c78307.avif
candid documentary photograph, two young women in T-shirts and life jackets paddling bright kayaks across a calm lake surrounded by green hills on a summer morning, laughing, active and free mood, each woman holding one double-bladed paddle with both hands, plain kayaks with no stickers, 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
An older man fishing alone from a wooden pier at sunrise.
https://cdn.cambridgeready.com/images/5f800f6435e38c49830af5bbfe64c675e0eac123f2ee1d98f060467fc7fb5b95.avif
candid documentary photograph, an older East Asian man sitting alone on a wooden pier with a fishing rod at sunrise, mist over the water, calm peaceful mood, 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 prefer spending time by the sea or in the mountains? (Why?)
Why might the people be spending their free time by the water?
In the next part, I'll give each of you two photographs. You'll talk about yours without help for about a minute, and afterwards I'll ask the other person a quick question about them.
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.
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