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Variant 17

Describe Photos

Two energetic elderly people — one exercising at a gym on a stationary bike, another playing guitar at home — representing two ways of keeping young
Task 4 · Keeping Young
Describe · Compare · Give Your Opinion
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Task 4 — School Project

Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project "Keeping Young". 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 ways of keeping young for the elderly people
  • Mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two ways of keeping young for the elderly people
  • Express your opinion on the subject of the project — say which way of keeping young your elderly relatives prefer and why

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

Photos for the task
Elderly man and woman smiling while cycling on stationary bikes together at a fitness gym
Photo 1
Elderly couple sitting on a sofa at home, playing acoustic guitar together and drinking tea
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 keeping young 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 ways
Mention 1–2 benefits for each way of keeping young for elderly people.
One advantage of physical exercise is that it 
As for creative hobbies like playing music, a clear benefit is that they 
3
Disadvantages of both ways
Mention 1–2 drawbacks for each way of keeping young for elderly people.
A drawback of regular gym workouts is that they 
On the other hand, home-based hobbies like music 
4
Your opinion & preference
Say which way of keeping young your elderly relatives prefer and explain why.
As for my elderly relatives, they prefer 
…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 stay active
оставаться активным
It is important to stay active as you get older.
physical fitness
физическая форма
Regular cycling helps maintain physical fitness in old age.
creative hobby
творческое хобби
Playing guitar is a wonderful creative hobby for any age.
to boost mood
поднимать настроение
Music can boost mood and reduce feelings of loneliness.
age-related illness
возрастное заболевание
Exercise helps prevent many common age-related illnesses.
sedentary lifestyle
малоподвижный образ жизни
A sedentary lifestyle can negatively affect health in the elderly.
sense of purpose
ощущение смысла / цели
Hobbies give elderly people a strong sense of purpose.
to socialise
общаться, поддерживать контакты
Going to the gym allows elderly people to socialise with others.
well-being
благополучие, самочувствие
Both activities contribute to the overall well-being of older adults.
to stimulate the mind
стимулировать умственную деятельность
Learning new music pieces helps stimulate the mind.
overexertion
перенапряжение, чрезмерные усилия
Elderly people should be careful to avoid overexertion during exercise.
to combine
сочетать, совмещать
It is best to combine physical and creative activities for healthy ageing.
Exam Conditions

School project "Keeping Young". Leave a voice message: describe both photos, note differences, mention advantages and disadvantages of each way of keeping young, give your opinion about which way your elderly relatives prefer.

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

Elderly man and woman smiling while cycling on stationary bikes together at a fitness gym
Photo 1
Elderly couple sitting on a sofa at home, playing acoustic guitar together and drinking tea
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 ways of keeping young
Mentioned 1–2 advantages for each way of keeping young
Mentioned 1–2 disadvantages for each way of keeping young
Expressed and justified which way your elderly relatives prefer
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.