IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card · Nature and society

Describe an environmental problem in your area

The full cue card, a one-minute plan for its prompts, a sample answer by Lingo Copilot and the vocabulary for this topic.

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Describe an environmental problem in your area.

You should say:

  • what the problem is
  • what causes it
  • how it affects people

and explain what you think could be done to solve it.

How to plan your answer in 1 minute

A minute is short. Spend it on keywords for each prompt, in the order of the card:

  1. 0:00–0:10

    Choose your answer

    Decide on an environmental problem in your area. Pick something real that you know well, so the details come easily when you speak.

  2. 0:10–0:20

    What the problem is

    Write two or three keywords, not sentences: a name, a place, a time or a detail you can expand on.

  3. 0:20–0:30

    What causes it

    Write two or three keywords, not sentences: a name, a place, a time or a detail you can expand on.

  4. 0:30–0:40

    How it affects people

    Write two or three keywords, not sentences: a name, a place, a time or a detail you can expand on.

  5. 0:40–0:55

    And explain what you think could be done to solve it

    Note one reason and one short example or story. This is the part you can keep developing until the examiner stops you at two minutes.

  6. 0:55–1:00

    Check the order

    Number your notes in the order of the prompts, then use them as a checklist while you talk.

Sample answer

Written for practice. Use it for ideas and phrasing rather than memorising it, then answer about your own experience.

Sample answer by Lingo Copilot · 257 words

So, I want to tell you about plastic pollution in our oceans, which I believe represents one of the most pressing environmental problems facing our planet today. This issue has concerned me deeply ever since I watched a documentary about marine ecosystems several years ago. The scale of ocean plastic pollution is truly staggering. Scientists estimate that roughly eight million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year, creating massive garbage patches and devastating marine life. What's particularly alarming is plastic's persistent nature—it doesn't biodegrade but instead breaks into smaller microplastics that work their way into the entire food chain, eventually affecting human health. This problem comes from multiple connected causes. Our society's dependence on single-use plastics, poor waste management in many regions, and insufficient recycling systems all play a big role. Consumer convenience has been put ahead of sustainability for decades, creating this crisis. The impact on marine ecosystems is devastating. Countless seabirds, turtles, and marine mammals die every year from swallowing plastic or getting tangled in debris. Coral reefs suffer damage, and fish populations decline, threatening both biodiversity and human food security. The economic costs to coastal communities through reduced tourism and fishing industries are huge. Solving this requires wide-ranging action at multiple levels. Governments must put in place stronger regulations on plastic production and improve waste management systems. Businesses need to develop sustainable alternatives and embrace circular economy principles. Individuals should cut down on consumption, choose reusable options, and support environmental efforts. The ocean plastic crisis shows how individual actions collectively create global consequences.

Another sample answer (2 of 3)

Sample answer by Lingo Copilot · 249 words

I want to describe deforestation in tropical rainforests, an environmental disaster that threatens biodiversity, climate stability, and indigenous communities worldwide. This issue became personally important to me after I visited the Amazon rainforest and saw the destruction firsthand. The Amazon alone loses roughly 10,000 square kilometers of forest every year, mainly due to agricultural expansion, illegal logging, and infrastructure development. What makes this so devastating is that rainforests act as Earth's lungs, producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. Their destruction speeds up climate change while wiping out irreplaceable ecosystems. The drivers of deforestation are complex and economically motivated. Agricultural businesses clear land for cattle ranching and soy production, logging companies harvest valuable timber, and poverty drives local populations toward unsustainable practices. International demand for products like beef and palm oil keeps this cycle going. The consequences reach far beyond local environments. Thousands of species face extinction as their habitats disappear, including many with potential medical uses we haven't yet discovered. Indigenous communities lose ancestral lands and traditional ways of life. The climate impact affects everyone globally through increased carbon emissions and disrupted weather patterns. Addressing this requires coordinated international action. Governments must enforce protection laws, businesses should commit to deforestation-free supply chains, and consumers need to make informed purchasing decisions. Economic alternatives must be provided for communities currently dependent on destructive practices. This issue has completely changed my consumption habits. Seeing that destruction in person made the abstract problem painfully real and motivated a lasting commitment to finding solutions.

Another sample answer (3 of 3)

Sample answer by Lingo Copilot · 257 words

Let me talk about air pollution in urban areas, an environmental and health crisis affecting billions of people globally. Living in a major city, I've experienced this problem's impact firsthand and I recognize how serious it is. Air quality in many cities has gotten dramatically worse over recent decades due to vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and coal-burning power plants. What's particularly concerning is that air pollution causes millions of premature deaths every year, while contributing to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and reduced quality of life for urban populations. The main causes are well-documented yet hard to address. Transportation systems that rely heavily on fossil fuels, industrial production that puts profit over environmental protection, and weak emissions regulations all play a big part. Rapid urbanization without proper environmental planning makes these issues worse. The health impacts are serious and well-researched. Children develop asthma and other respiratory conditions at alarming rates, elderly populations suffer increased mortality during high pollution events, and even healthy adults experience reduced lung function and life expectancy. The economic costs through healthcare expenses and lost productivity are enormous. Solutions exist but require political will and societal commitment. Transitioning to clean energy sources, investing in public transportation, putting strict emissions standards in place for industries, and creating urban green spaces could dramatically improve air quality. Individual choices about transportation and energy consumption also matter. This problem has influenced my lifestyle a lot. The daily visibility of smog serves as a constant reminder that environmental problems aren't distant future concerns but immediate health threats requiring urgent action.

Useful vocabulary

contaminateverb
to make something impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance
ecosystemnoun
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
carbon footprintnoun
the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly and indirectly by human activities
deteriorateverb
to become progressively worse in quality, condition, or function over time
biodiversitynoun
the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat or the world as a whole
exacerbateverb
to make a problem, situation, or negative feeling worse or more severe
depletedadjective
used up or exhausted to the point of scarcity, particularly regarding natural resources
encroachmentnoun
the gradual intrusion or advance beyond proper or usual limits, often onto natural habitats
mitigateverb
to make less severe, serious, or painful; to reduce the negative impact of something
irreversibleadjective
not able to be undone or altered; permanent in its effects
insidiousadjective
proceeding in a gradual, subtle way but with harmful cumulative effects
remediationnoun
the action of reversing or stopping environmental damage through targeted intervention
eutrophicationnoun
excessive nutrient enrichment of a body of water, causing dense plant growth and oxygen depletion
sequestrationnoun
the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, either naturally or artificially
inextricableadjective
impossible to disentangle or separate, describing the deep interconnection of environmental factors

Useful collocations

  • carbon emissions

    The local government has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by forty percent before the end of the decade.

  • water contamination

    Water contamination from agricultural runoff has rendered several wells in the village unsafe for consumption.

  • ecological balance

    The introduction of a non-native predator has severely disrupted the ecological balance of our region's forests.

  • waste management

    Inadequate waste management practices have led to an accumulation of plastic debris along the riverbanks.

  • renewable energy

    Transitioning to renewable energy sources is arguably the most effective strategy for reducing air pollution in our city.

  • anthropogenic climate change

    The consensus among environmental scientists is that anthropogenic climate change is the defining crisis of our era.

  • irreversible damage

    If the current rate of coral bleaching continues, irreversible damage to the entire reef system is all but inevitable.

  • alarming rate

    Groundwater levels in our province are declining at an alarming rate due to excessive extraction for agriculture.

  • environmental degradation

    Environmental degradation in the industrial corridor has reached a point where remediation will require decades of sustained effort.

  • biodiversity loss

    The biodiversity loss resulting from monoculture farming has rendered the landscape ecologically impoverished.

  • at stake

    The future of our planet is at stake if we don't act now.

  • forge a consensus

    The committee worked tirelessly to forge a consensus among all stakeholders.

  • do your part

    Everyone needs to do their part, even if it's just recycling at home.

  • sustainable solution

    We need sustainable solutions, not just short-term fixes.

  • throw-away culture

    Our throw-away culture is creating mountains of waste that last centuries.

Follow-up questions on this topic

Questions stored with this card in our question bank, to take the topic further:

  • Do you think individuals or governments should take more responsibility for environmental issues?
  • How has awareness of environmental problems changed over the years?
  • Do you think technology can solve most environmental problems?

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