CAE Speaking Part 2 Cards - Set #15 (Buying things; The weather) - EngExam.info

CAE Speaking Part 2 Cards – Set #15 (Buying things; The weather)

CAE Speaking Part 2 sample questions with answers. If you want to print them or save in PDF, click the red icon at the bottom of this page.

Examiner: Here are your pictures. They show people buying things. Please compare two of the pictures and say why people chose to buy things this way and what can be difficult about buying things this way?

  • Why people chose to buy things this way?
  • What can be difficult about buying things this way?

Candidate A: I am going to describe the top-left picture and the one at the bottom. The first one shows a lady wearing a mask, she’s buying oranges and maybe she’s shopping for other fruit as well. She might have chosen to come to the shop personally because it is very close to the place she lives at. Maybe, she prefers to personally make sure that the fruit are ripe and not rotten. The other picture with a young guy and a vending machine shows a purchase made without any other people involved. He might do that to avoid any anxiety associated with talking to others.

Both situations show the problem of choice – it can be difficult to pick the thing you want among the great variety offered. In case of the vending machine, it can be quite tricky to operate too – you have to have some experience of using it not to get confused.

Short-turn question: Which picture shows the least stressful way to buy things?

Candidate B: It’s probably the top right picture with a young woman, who is shopping online. She didn’t even have to leave her house – she can have things shipped to her door, if she so desires. No stress at all, just the pure joy of consuming.


Examiner: Here are the pictures, in which you can see people in different weather conditions. Compare two of the pictures and say how comfortable the people might be in this weather and how common this type of weather might be for this place?

  • How comfortable might the people be in this weather?
  • How common might this type of weather be for this place?


Candidate B: I will be talking about the left picture and the bottom one. One shows a rain-soaked pier and a person standing at the edge, looking at the beautiful, mist-covered mountains in the background. Even though the weather seems a bit damp, I doubt that they’re feeling any discomfort – they seem to be dressed appropriately for the weather. However, the man with a lifebuoy flung over his shoulder is clearly unhappy about the weather – he is perspiring and his facial expression shows exhaustion.

Both pictures show rather typical weather conditions for their respective locations. High temperatures are quite typical for ocean islands in the tropic zone and humid conditions with ample rainfall are not unusual for the mountainous regions. However, I am not so sure about the top-left picture and the weather situation shown there might be uncommon.

Short-turn question: In which picture are people more likely to enjoy the weather?

Candidate A: The top-right picture is full of people picnicking on the lawns – they are evidently savouring the pleasant weather conditions. The place is packed with people, this is probably an unusually warm and pleasant day and therefore everyone in the picture wants to be a part of it.
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