I’d like to talk about a monthly science magazine called 'New Scientist'. I stumbled upon it quite by accident in a local newsagent’s about two years ago, and it has been a staple of my reading habits ever since. It focuses primarily on the latest breakthroughs in technology, space exploration, and environmental science, but it also features fascinating columns on the ethics of artificial intelligence and human psychology. The articles are written in such a way that they are intellectually stimulating yet accessible to someone without a PhD in physics. I make a point of picking up a new issue every month, usually on the first Saturday, and I treat it as a bit of a ritual with a strong cup of coffee. I tend to spend the entire weekend slowly working my way through the features and the opinion pieces. The main reason I’m so drawn to this publication is that it offers a welcome escape from the doom-scrolling and superficial headlines that dominate social media feeds. In an era where information is often reduced to bite-sized, sensationalist snippets, New Scientist provides an in-depth analysis that helps me feel more grounded and informed about how the world is actually changing. I find that reading it satisfies my natural curiosity about the future of our species. It manages to be both optimistic about technological progress and refreshingly candid about the challenges we face as a global society, which keeps me coming back issue after issue. It’s essentially my go-to source for understanding the complex mechanisms that drive our modern existence.
The cue card
Describe a newspaper or a magazine that you like to read.
You should say:
- →What the publication is?
- →What kind of information it contains?
- →How often do you read it?
- →And explain why you read it.
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
A film, book, song or programme
How to answer this cue card: a one-minute plan
- 1
Choose a specific publication you genuinely know details about to ensure natural fluency.
- 2
Use your one minute to jot down keywords for each bullet point to maintain order.
- 3
Focus on your personal connection to the reading material to sound more authentic.
Model answer
Band 8 sample answer
Say it out loud and get a band
Record this card with the AI examiner: one minute of prep, two minutes to speak, then a band for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation with the words that cost you.
Say it and get a band free →8 words
Useful vocabulary for this cue card
staple
a main or important element of something
intellectually stimulating
encouraging you to think and learn new things
ritual
a regular activity done in the same way
doom-scrolling
spending time reading bad news on social media
sensationalist
presenting information in a way that causes excitement
grounded
having a sensible and realistic attitude to life
candid
truthful and straightforward in a helpful way
mechanisms
the ways in which something works or happens
6 questions
Part 3 follow-up questions
- 1Why is it important to read the news?
- 2Do you prefer to receive your by reading it, or to listen to the news on the radio, TV, or the internet?
- 3Which news medium, TV, the internet, or mobile devices, do you think is best for broadcasting the news?
- 4In what ways are newspapers better for learning about the news than listening to the radio or watching television?
- 5Do you think newspapers and magazines might one day disappear?
- 6Would you say the media presents us with more good news than bad news, or vice-versa?
Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See how to answer IELTS Speaking Part 3.
Frequently asked questions
How should I start the cue card "Describe a newspaper or a magazine that you like to read."?+
Choose a specific publication you genuinely know details about to ensure natural fluency.
How long should I speak on an IELTS cue card?+
You get one minute to prepare, then speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.
How is the cue card scored?+
Part 2 is not scored on its own. Your whole Speaking test gets one band from four criteria: fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The cue card is where the examiner hears whether you can keep going for two minutes.
Can I use this sample answer in the exam?+
Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.
Keep practising
More cue cards: a film, book, song or programme
- Describe a book or movie that has influenced you
- Describe a book that you enjoyed reading because you had to think a lot
- Describe a book you read that you found useful
- Describe a breaking news story you followed
- Describe a digital comic or graphic novel
- Describe a film trailer that impressed you
- All 705 IELTS cue cards 2026
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