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Variant 12

Describe Photos

Two students working on a Capturing Nature school project — one sketching outdoors on a canvas, one photographing a landscape with a smartphone
Task 4 · Capturing Nature
Describe · Compare · Give Your Opinion
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Task 4 — School Project

Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project "Capturing Nature". You have found some photos to illustrate it but for technical reasons you cannot send them now. Leave a voice message to your friend explaining your choice of the photos and sharing some ideas about the project. In 2.5 minutes be ready to:

  • Explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences
  • Mention the advantages (1–2) of the two types of images of nature
  • Mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two types of images of nature
  • Express your opinion on the subject of the project — say which of these types of pictures of nature you prefer and why

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (12–15 sentences). You have to talk continuously.

Photos for the task
Young woman sitting and smiling next to an easel while painting a portrait on canvas in an art studio
Photo 1
Young woman photographing Big Ben and the Thames embankment with a smartphone held up against a cloudy sky
Photo 2
Build Your Speech
1
Describe the photos & note the differences
Briefly describe what you see in each photo, then point out the key difference between the two ways of capturing nature shown.
In the first photo I can see 
The second photo shows 
The main difference is that 
Both photos are connected by 
2
Advantages of both types
Mention 1–2 benefits for each type of image of nature.
One advantage of painting is that it 
As for photography, a clear benefit is that it 
3
Disadvantages of both types
Mention 1–2 drawbacks for each type of image of nature.
A drawback of painting is that it 
On the other hand, photography 
4
Your opinion & preference
Say which type of image of nature you personally prefer for the project and explain why.
Personally, I would choose 
…because 
To sum up, I think that 
Phrase Bank
Useful Phrases
Describing
In the foreground / background… It looks like… / It seems to be… The photo was taken indoors / outdoors I can also notice…
Comparing
Unlike the first photo, the second one… While Photo 1 shows…, Photo 2 depicts… Another difference is that…
Pros & Cons
It is worth mentioning that… … tends to be much more… What is more, … However, it should be noted that…
Opinion
As for me, I would choose… In my opinion, … is a better choice since… I strongly believe that…
Vocabulary
Key Words for This Topic
to capture
запечатлеть, передать
A skilled artist can capture the mood of a landscape beautifully.
landscape painting
пейзажная живопись
Landscape painting has been popular since the 17th century.
to take a photograph
сделать фотографию
She stopped to take a photograph of the misty mountains.
to express creativity
проявлять творческие способности
Painting is a wonderful way to express creativity.
realistic
реалистичный
A photo gives a more realistic view than a painting.
time-consuming
требующий много времени
Creating a detailed painting can be extremely time-consuming.
unique
уникальный, неповторимый
Every hand-painted picture is unique and one of a kind.
to document
документировать, фиксировать
Photography is an excellent way to document wildlife.
artistic skill
художественное мастерство
Watercolour requires a great deal of artistic skill.
accessible
доступный, общедоступный
Digital photography is accessible to almost everyone today.
impersonal
безличный, обезличенный
Some people feel that digital images can look impersonal.
to inspire
вдохновлять
Nature has always inspired painters and photographers alike.
Exam Conditions

School project "Capturing Nature". Leave a voice message: describe both photos, note differences, mention advantages and disadvantages of each type of image, give your opinion.

2:30 preparation → 3:00 speaking. 12–15 sentences, no stops.

Young woman sitting and smiling next to an easel while painting a portrait on canvas in an art studio
Photo 1
Young woman photographing Big Ben and the Thames embankment with a smartphone held up against a cloudy sky
Photo 2
Preparation
2:30
Press Start — exam conditions
Exam Phases
1
Preparation
Study the photos and plan your monologue
2:30
2
Speaking
Talk continuously — no pauses, no stopping
3:00
Examiner's Checklist
Described both photos — briefly and clearly
Noted the differences between the two types of images of nature
Mentioned 1–2 advantages for each type of image
Mentioned 1–2 disadvantages for each type of image
Expressed and justified a personal preference
Spoke within 3 minutes without long pauses

Exam Complete!

Check the boxes above — did you hit every criterion? If not, go back to Practice and refine.