Stuck in a Traffic Jam (Part 2--IELTS Speaking)

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Stuck in a Traffic Jam (Part 2/Cue Card--IELTS Speaking)

Describe a time when you were stuck in a traffic jam.

You should say:
    where you were
    who you were with
    what you did while you were stuck in the jam

and explain how you felt about it.

Sample Answer 1

I'm gonna talk about this situation when my cousin and I were headed to a family wedding, and we got stuck in a frustratingly slow-moving traffic jam. We were both all decked up and looking our best for the big event. However, I had an exam the very next morning, so the plan was to reach early and leave early. Well, you know, what they say about best-laid plans. In this case, our plan was foiled by the snail's pace of the traffic.

As we sat in the crawling traffic, our makeup started melting and our preparations seemed to be in vain. Not only were we going to be late but we were also in a bad mood because of the stress of the exam.

It was such a frustrating experience, and I felt so helpless sitting there in that car, watching the minutes tick by as we barely moved. We tried talking about stuff or listening to music but we were too stressed out to enjoy anything or focus on anything.

Well, we were late by over an hour but in retrospect, it's ok. After all, all's well that ends well. So, I enjoyed myself at the party although couldn't spend too much time there. And I ended up acing the exam too.

Looking back on it now, I can see that it was a good lesson in the importance of staying calm and adaptable in the face of unexpected challenges.

Sample Answer 2

Well, traffic snarls seem to be a daily affair for most of us, and I recall one such instance when I was on my way to an important meeting. I was in a cab, so there was the cabbie but otherwise, I was on my own. I was feeling anxious because of the delay and to make matters worse, the cabbie was being annoying and constantly honking, which only added to the frustration of being stuck in standstill bumper-to-bumper traffic.

As I sat there, feeling irritated and anxious, I decided to make the most of the free time at hand. I pulled out my phone and turned to my go-to apps, which include a few music streaming services and of course, Netflix.

I have made a practice of having at least a couple of episodes downloaded on Netflix at all times, just in case I find myself stuck in a situation like this. So, I watched an episode on Netflix and listened to a couple of songs, which helped me kill some time and take my mind off the traffic.

While it was still frustrating, whenever I am in a situation that is worrisome but I can't do anything, I remind myself that there is no use worrying about a problem that can't be solved. So, in the end, I made it to my meeting (albeit a bit late), and everything worked out fine. And I felt a bit better knowing that I had made good use of my time while I was on the way.

Part 3 Questions on this topic:

1. Traffic Jams (Part 3 Questions)

Here's a list of some of the noteworthy vocabulary used in the sample answers above along with meanings:

Phrasal Verbs

• Decked up: Dressed up in a fancy or formal attire
• Kill time: To fill time doing something that is not particularly important or useful, often to make time pass more quickly
• Pull out: To take out or remove something from a place

Collocations

• Well-laid plans/Best-laid plans: Carefully thought-out plans
• In the face of: When confronted with
• Unexpected challenges: Unforeseen difficulties or obstacles
• Traffic snarls: Heavy traffic congestion
• Making the most of: Taking full advantage of an opportunity or situation

Idioms

• Snail's pace: Very slow speed
• In vain: Without success or result
• Take one's mind off: To divert one's attention from something unpleasant or worrying

Quotation

• Best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry: Used to signify the futility of making detailed plans because things don't use go exactly as planned (This is referred to in Sample Answer 1--"Well, you know what they say about best-laid plans")

And more

• Foiled (verb): Prevented from succeeding
• Derailed (verb): Prevented from continuing as planned or intended
• Adaptable (adjective): Able to adjust to new conditions or situations
• Standstill (noun): a complete stop; a halt in an activity or progress
• Bumper-to-bumper (adjective): Vehicles are moving so close together that their bumpers are almost touching
• Annoying (adjective): Causing irritation or annoyance
• Go-to (adjective): A reliable or trusted option or solution
• Frustrated (adjective): Feeling or expressing distress and annoyance, especially because of the inability to change or achieve something

And here are some other words and phrases that you can use when answering this IELTS Speaking Part 2/Cue Card question about being stuck in a traffic jam:

• Gridlock (noun): A situation where traffic is so congested that it cannot move
• Commute (verb): To travel regularly from home to work or school, especially over a long distance
• Public transport (noun): A system of buses, trains, or other vehicles that operate on fixed routes and are available for use by the general public
• Rush hour (noun): The time of day when traffic is busiest, usually during the morning and evening when people are commuting to and from work
• Carpooling (noun): The practice of sharing a car with other people to make a journey together
• Mass transit (noun): A public transportation system that carries large numbers of passengers over fixed routes, such as buses or trains
• Road rage (noun): Extreme anger or aggressive behaviour shown by drivers in response to the actions of others on the road
• Bottleneck (noun): A place or situation where congestion occurs, causing a reduction in the flow of traffic
• Infrastructure (noun): The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society, such as roads, bridges, and public transportation
• Take a detour (collocation): To take a different, usually longer, route to avoid traffic or obstacles
• Stuck in traffic (collocation): Unable to move in traffic due to congestion
• Crawl at a snail's pace (phrase): To move very slowly, often used to describe traffic
• Roadworks (noun): Repairs or construction work carried out on roads, often causing temporary traffic disruptions
• Inching along (idiom): To move very slowly, often used to describe traffic in a traffic jam
• Running late (idiom): To be behind schedule, often due to being stuck in a traffic
• Jammed up (idiom): To be blocked or delayed, often due to traffic congestion
• Backed up (idiom): To be blocked or congested, often due to traffic
• Road rage (collocation): An extreme or aggressive response by drivers to the actions of others on the road, often due to frustration caused by traffic jams
• Heavy traffic (collocation): To describe a situation where there are a lot of vehicles on the road, often causing traffic jams
• Pull over (phrasal verb): To move a vehicle to the side of the road, often to allow other vehicles to pass or to avoid congestion
• Clear up (phrasal verb): To dissipate or disappear, often used to describe traffic congestion or a traffic jam
• Cut off (phrasal verb): To prevent a vehicle from moving forward, often by blocking its path or merging into its lane
• Navigate around (phrasal verb): To find a way through or around a congested area or traffic jam
• Move up (phrasal verb): To move forward, often in small increments, in a congested area or traffic jam

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