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Variant 8

Describe Photos

A cheerful family gathered around a festive holiday table covered with Christmas decorations and warm winter food
Task 4 · Winter Holidays
Describe · Compare · Give Your Opinion
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Task 4 — School Project

Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project "Winter Holidays". 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 spending winter holidays
  • Mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two ways of spending winter holidays
  • Express your opinion on the subject of the project — say which way of spending winter holidays presented in the pictures you preferred as a child and why

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

Photos for the task
Children and an adult building a cheerful snowman together in a snowy winter park
Photo 1
A happy multigenerational family laughing together at a festive holiday dinner table
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 spending winter holidays 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 spending winter holidays.
One advantage of spending time outdoors is that it 
As for a cosy family celebration, a clear benefit is that it 
3
Disadvantages of both ways
Mention 1–2 drawbacks for each way of spending winter holidays.
A drawback of outdoor winter activities is that they 
On the other hand, a home family dinner 
4
Your opinion & preference
Say which way of spending winter holidays you preferred as a child and explain why.
As a child, I would always 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
winter break
зимние каникулы
Most children look forward to the winter break every year.
to build a snowman
лепить снеговика
Building a snowman is a classic winter activity for children.
festive atmosphere
праздничная атмосфера
The festive atmosphere at home made the holidays feel special.
to gather together
собираться вместе
Families often gather together for a big dinner on New Year's Eve.
outdoor activity
занятие на свежем воздухе
Skiing and ice skating are popular outdoor winter activities.
cosy
уютный, тёплый
There is nothing cosier than sitting by the fire on a winter evening.
family bond
семейная связь, узы
Spending holidays together strengthens family bonds.
to cherish memories
хранить воспоминания
I still cherish memories of building snowmen with my father.
energetic
энергичный, бодрый
Children are very energetic and love playing outside in the snow.
to catch a cold
простудиться
You should dress warmly so you don't catch a cold outside.
multigenerational
многопоколенный
A multigenerational gathering brings grandparents and grandchildren together.
to celebrate
праздновать, отмечать
We always celebrate New Year's Eve with a special dinner.
Exam Conditions

School project "Winter Holidays". Leave a voice message: describe both photos, note differences, mention advantages and disadvantages of each way of spending winter holidays, give your opinion.

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

Children and an adult building a cheerful snowman together in a snowy winter park
Photo 1
A happy multigenerational family laughing together at a festive holiday dinner table
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 spending winter holidays
Mentioned 1–2 advantages for each way of spending winter holidays
Mentioned 1–2 disadvantages for each way of spending winter holidays
Expressed and justified a personal childhood 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.