Describe a crop you are familiar with IELTS Cue Card

The IELTS speaking test is the face to face interview with the examiner to assess your speaking skills and decide the band score based on your performance.This session is recorded for further reference. In this article we gave you 3 model answers and 10 follow up questions to the topic Describe a crop you are familiar with which will help you to clear the IELTS cue card (Speaking) section.

IELTS speaking part 2: Cue card

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Cue card session is the second part of the IELTS speaking test where you need to speak about the topic given by the examiner. The preparation time for the topic is only 1 minute. After that you have to speak for about 4-5 minutes.
The main intention of this test is to check your unconstrained speaking ability, sentence structure etc. Here we have shown you sample model answers to the questions related to the topic Describe a crop you are familiar with.

Describe a crop you are familiar with 

You should say:

• What is it and where it grows?
• How you became familiar with it ?
• What you like or dislike about it ?
• And explain why this is important for your country?

Describe a crop you are familiar with -Model answer and Follow up questions

The model answers for the topic “Describe a crop you are familiar with” are given below. Also check the follow up questions related to the 3rd part of IELTS speaking cue card to increase your band score. Read and try to prepare answers on your own.

Describe a crop you are familiar with- Model Answer 1

Introduction

• India is geographically a vast country with various food crops grown across different states.
• Agriculture is the primary source for livelihood.

What is it and where it grows?

• Tea is a popular beverage consumed by 2/3rd of the world’s population.
• It is consumed many times a day to relieve stress.
• This plant is grown in hilly areas where there is much rainfall including sunshine.
• In the southern part of India it is mostly cultivated in a place called ooty.

How you became familiar with it ?

• I stayed in ooty for 4 long years to pursue graduation.
• One of my friends owns a tea estate and planned a group tour in the tea gardens where we closely observed the cultivation process.

What you like or dislike about it ?

• Tea contains a rich source of antioxidants which helps us to boost our brain and heart. 
• But too much of its consumption leads to health issues like poor sleep, acidity, indigestion etc. 

And explain why this is important for your country?

• Since the consumption of tea is more in our country it plays a significant role in poverty reduction.
• Exporting to other countries like Canada, USA etc. will develop the growth of the Indian economy.

Conclusion

• Tea, a hot beverage, is a refreshing drink, source of living and a regular entertainer in our lives. 
• It has become a household tradition that nobody denies this fact. 

Describe a crop you are familiar with- Model Answer 2

Introduction

Agriculture is an important sector in the Indian economy for the people’s well being. It has registered an impressive growth over the decades.

What is it and where it grows?

Cotton is the most widely produced natural fibre. It is a kharif crop grown in major parts of the country like Punjab, Haryana, Andhra pradesh etc. Mostly cotton grows in warm climatic conditions.

How you became familiar with it ?

I am from an agricultural family very much familiar with this crop since we cultivate cotton crops in our fields. Sometimes, I even work in the process like soil preparation, sowing the seeds etc. along with my family.

What you like or dislike about it ?

The unique feature about the cotton is it can hold water 24-27 times their own weight. These fibres are best absorbents, durable and resistant. But a small amount of pests destroys the entire cotton bolls. I mostly dislike the use of chemical pesticides in the cultivation of crops.

And explain why this is important for your country?

Cotton is widely used in various fields including the medical and textile industry. Today the world uses cotton more than any other fibre. As an industry it supports the livelihood of many people. It is an important source of employment and income for the country.

Conclusion

Cotton is the most widespread profitable non-food crop in the country. This has become a part of our daily lives for multipurpose.

Describe a crop you are familiar with- Model Answer 3

Introduction

India consists of various food and non food crops which are cultivated in three main monsoon seasons like rabi, kharif and zaid.These crops are harvested and utilised for daily purposes by human beings.

What is it and where it grows?

India secures fourth position in the global rubber production.These plants are mainly grown in the parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. Rubber trees grow best in warm climates. Spring and summer are the best months where most of the growth happens.

How you became familiar with it ?

Well we stayed in a place called coorg located in  karnataka for 5 long years. My college is situated quite close to these trees. We have done a project in the graduation related to the rubber production where we closely observed and analysed the complete process.

What you like or dislike about it ?

People grow rubber trees mainly for the sap called latex. Mixing this component with other chemicals gives us many objects like tires, medical gloves, sports equipment etc.These plants require less maintenance and sustain for a longer period of time. But these trees are actually toxic and cause skin irritation, vomiting etc. So they should be handled carefully.

And explain why this is important for your country?

Manufacturing of rubber creates employment to the people in various ways. For example the seeds are useful in the production of soaps, paints etc. and people use the wood in the construction and paper making. Export of these products to European countries generates income to the Indian economy.

Conclusion

Rubber is used for a variety of purposes.The overall production of rubber has been steadily increasing over the years.

IELTS speaking part 3 - Describe a crop you are familiar with

Here after you finish speaking the examiner will ask you a few questions. It is generally a discussion related to the topic you have spoken in the 2nd part.The follow up questions related to the topic Describe a crop you are familiar with are given below for the reference.

1.  Do people in your country like to grow plants at home?

Ofcourse, we love to grow plants at home because we believe that plants give fresh air to breathe.Gardening at home is considered as a hobby to stay happy, peaceful and healthy. Based on the land available near our living space we even grow our own fresh vegetable plants to eat.

2. Do old people grow plants?

Gardening for older people is an enjoyable form of exercise to keep their mental health peaceful. It acts as a part of their physical activity to stay active and healthy. Most of the old people love to grow plants and they also know a lot about various plantation techniques which they learned from their ancestors.

3. How do schools teach students to grow plants?

Schools often teach the students the importance and benefits of plants theoretically. During special occasions like world environment day they make the students plant the trees and share the importance of growing plants in our surroundings practically. They often encourage the children to perform these types of activities more to bring awareness among them.  

4. What is the main crop of your country?

Among all the crops, the major crops grown in our country are Wheat and Rice. Wheat is cultivated mostly in the northern part where many people prefer to consume more. In the southern part of India rice is grown and is preferred by many people to eat. These two crops behave as the main course in food production.

5. How were the crops grown in the past?

In the olden days agriculture was their occupation and they used hand made equipment for the cultivation of crops which drains the physical strength more. They worked with hand tools like shovels,hoes,rakes etc. It was a time consuming process.

6. Do you know some of the more advanced ways to grow crops?

There is a rapid change in the advancement in agriculture compared to the olden days. Usage of solar panels to generate electricity helps us to run motors thus results in watering of plants for their healthy growth. Advanced soil testing techniques will help us to know the strength thereby increasing the growth of crops. 

7. Are there some drawbacks to growing crops using modern technology?

There are minor drawbacks like labour usage will be less since it is replaced by the machinery. Apart from this increased use of fertilisers decreases the soil strength. 

8. Is farming a popular career choice in India?

Agriculture gives a major significant contribution to the Indian economy. Our country is among the top three global producers of many crops. Being an agricultural country India offers great opportunities into farming business because a large population leads to higher consumption thereby more profits.

9. Why don’t young people today like to be in the farming business?

This is mainly due to the lack of knowledge they have related to this field. They dislike this business because of the high risk, low profits and lack of social status compared to other professions.

10. How do you think technology will change farming in the future?

The usage of advanced technology like GPS, aerial images, moisture sensors will make agriculture more efficient, profitable and easy. This real time weather forecasting helps the farmers in the process of irrigation there by yielding best outputs.

Related IELTS cue card topics

• Talk about a special day which was not that expensive
• Describe an old person you know and respect
• Describe a cafe you like to visit
• Describe a skill that was difficult for you to learn
• Describe an aquatic animal
• Describe an activity that you do after school/work
• Describe a law on environmental protection
• Describe an interesting conversation that you had

Conclusion

Hope you have understood the pattern of IELTS speaking section with the model answers given related to the topic Describe a crop you are familiar with. Work on more cue card topics using the links given above to improve your skills.