Describe one time when the weather changed your plan You should say:
When it happened? What you planned to do?
What did you do after you changed your plan?
And explain how you felt about it when the weather stopped your plan.
Sample Answer:
Well, just last weekend my plans were ruined by the weather. Like I said before… the weekends are usually when I’ll travel back home and visit with my parents and family, so that was my plan for last weekend.
I’d arranged my schedule and made sure I didn’t have any studying or other things pending… I’d worked during the week to free up the weekend so I could relax and spend two days back home. But on Friday afternoon the weather started to change look ominous and by Friday evening, when I had planned to leave for home, there was an incredible storm which developed. The rain was torrential with a wind that was gusting and a lot of roads were reported as being flooded… and traffic stopped in various places in the city.
I called home and spoke with my mother and she told me that it was the same there and that I shouldn’t travel in such bad weather because I might get delayed. I was a bit sad, but the weather was so bad nobody really wanted to go out at all. In fact the journey from the university back to my apartment was horrendous. The traffic was terrible and by the time I arrived I was completely soaked because of the rain, so I had to admit that travelling all the way home would not have been a smart choice.
I waited for a couple of hours to see if things would change, but it didn’t, so eventually I gave up on the idea and started to think what I could do instead. I decided to phone a couple of friends and see if they wanted to do something together, and so we got together on Saturday and we spent the day together and in the evening we went to see a movie and then went to a restaurant for a meal. The weather still wasn’t great, but it was at least possible to go out without getting absolutely soaked again.
On Sunday, I decided to have a lazy day, you know… just reading, relaxing, and then another friend came to visit me in the evening and so we chatted for a while and then watched a movie in the evening.
Follow-up questions:
- Describe the weather during these seasons.
Okay, so in the summer it’s incredibly hot sometimes, and it runs from around May through to October typically. It’s mainly hot and dry although there are some days when there might be rain showers, but they’re not really very heavy and they don’t last for long either.
Then, around the middle of October or the beginning of November, the winter season begins. The temperature drops quite dramatically and there’s a lot more rain and wind than in the summer. During the day there’s still quite a bit of sun and sometimes it can feel warm, but by the evening it can feel really cold some days… and in the middle of the night it gets extremely cold. - What kind of weather is preferred by people in your country?
Generally speaking, most people prefer the hot weather in the summer, although it can be a little uncomfortable at times when temperatures soar in July and August. There are some people who prefer the winter because it’s easier and more comfortable to work, for example, when the temperature isn’t so hot, but the majority of people like the summer time because they get to spend more time outside and there’s a lot of tourist activity in the summer, so things are a lot busier and more lively. Young people like to spend a lot of time at the beach and doing activities outside. - How do weather reports affect people’s life?
It affects people in different ways, or not at all, in some cases. Some people are just happier in the summer because they like the warmer weather, and likewise some people are glad when the winter comes because it’s a nice break from the intense heat of the summer, and then there are people who like both seasons. Personally, I get a bit sad when it’s too cold in the winter – it’s just not very comfortable when you go outside, especially when it’s raining and cold at the same time… it’s horrible. - What kind of activities do people do in the different seasons?
During the summer, most people spend a lot more time outside. They might spend time in their gardens or walking, and in particular if they live near the coast they’ll typically spend a couple of days a week at the beach, especially at the weekends. You’ll see whole families camped out for the day or maybe even the whole weekend at the beach, enjoying the ocean and all the water sports and activities you can do. - In the winter, it’s different. Almost Nobody goes to the beach because it’s too cold to swim, so people spend more time inside than outside and so parties and events in the winter are all organized indoors, whereas in the summer most of them would be outdoors. I guess we do typical things inside like watching TV, movies, meeting friends for a drink or meal and other stuff – just inside more than outside.
- Do you think that celebrities can be good role models?
I do not think so. A good role model must be hardworking, honest and care about others besides themselves. Unfortunately, many celebrities do not possess these qualities.
Usually, the qualities that helped them to become famous in the first place were different. Besides, much of what we hear about them is very negative, leaving them unqualified to become role models. - Why do you think the media in most countries often carry stories about celebrities?
Of course, I see that a lot of information in the media is centered on celebrities because stories about these people, especially scandalous stories will sell newspapers or make people watch television. What I am saying is that their interest in celebrities is often commercial. They know that the general public likes to follow the personal lives of movie or sports personalities. - Why do you think many young people tend to copy their favorite celebrities? Yes, I see that many youngsters in my country have a tendency to copy their favorite movie or sports personalities. But it is never their life styles that they copy because most of these celebrities lead luxurious lives and the young people never have that kind of money. So it is usually their looks or clothing that they copy. Sometimes, the youngsters sport the looks of a character their favorite actor has played in a recent film, either to express their solidarity with it or to show their love for their favorite star.