One small step today beats a cram session next month. Let's go, team! π€ Speaking Task of the Day (Part 2 β Cue Card) Describe a place in your city you like to visit. You should say: where it is how often you go there what you do there and explain why you like it β±οΈ Take 1 minute to prepare notes, then speak for 2 minutes. Band 6 sample opening: "I want to talk about a park near my house. It is very big and has many trees. I go there every weekend to walk and relax. I like it because it is quiet and the air is fresh." Band 8 upgrade: "I'd like to talk about a sprawling park just a stone's throw from my house. I make a point of going there every weekend to unwind, mainly because it's a tranquil escape from the noise of the city." sprawling = covering a large area (better than "very big") make a point of = do something deliberately and regularly tranquil = calm and peaceful (better than "quiet") π Record yourself or post your 2-minute answer in the comments! βοΈ Writing Task of the Day (Task 2 β Opinion Essay) Some people believe that children should learn a foreign language from their first year of school. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Skeleton outline: Intro β paraphrase the question + state your opinion clearly Body 1 β your strongest reason + example Body 2 β your second reason (or a concession + rebuttal) Conclusion β restate opinion, no new ideas Examiner tip: Don't sit on the fence vaguely. "To what extent" questions need a clear position in the introduction AND conclusion β examiners penalize essays where your opinion only appears at the end. π’ Easier goal: write just the introduction (2-3 sentences). π΅ Full goal: 250+ words in 40 minutes. π Reading Tip of the Day: The "Not Given" Trap True/False/Not Given questions love to bait you with things that sound reasonable but aren't in the text. Mini passage: "The Arctic tern migrates annually from the Arctic to the Antarctic, a round trip of roughly 70,000 km. Researchers tracking the birds found that they rarely fly in straight lines, instead following wind patterns to conserve energy."