IELTS Speaking 2025 Part 2&3: Describe a piece of good news that you heard about someone you know well.

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card

Describe a piece of good news that you heard about someone you know well.
You should say:

• What it was

• When you heard it

• How you found out about it
  And explain how you felt about it

1. Speaking Expressions

a. What it was

• The best news I got was that… (Tin vui nhất tôi nhận được là…)

• He/She finally pulled it off… (Cuối cùng anh/cô ấy cũng làm được…)

• It was a huge milestone for… (Đó là cột mốc lớn đối với…)

• Something we’d all been rooting for… (Điều mà tất cả chúng tôi đều mong chờ…)

b. When you heard it

• I first heard about it back in… (Tôi nghe tin đó vào…)

• It was just the other day when… (Mới hôm nọ khi…)

• Right in the middle of… (Ngay giữa lúc…)

• Out of the blue, I got a message… (Bất ngờ, tôi nhận được một tin nhắn…)

c. How you found out

• She broke the news to me on Zalo… (Cô ấy báo tin cho tôi trên Zalo…)

• I saw a screenshot pop up in our family group… (Tôi thấy ảnh chụp màn hình trong nhóm gia đình…)

• I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth… (Tôi nghe trực tiếp từ chính người đó…)

• It spread like wildfire in our circle… (Tin lan nhanh như cháy rừng trong nhóm chúng tôi…)

d. How you felt

• I was over the moon… (Tôi mừng như lên mây…)

• My heart just melted… (Tim tôi như tan chảy…)

• I got goosebumps, honestly… (Thật sự tôi nổi da gà…)

• It gave me a real sense of pride… (Nó khiến tôi thấy tự hào thật sự…)

2. Ideas & Collocations

• Land a full scholarship (giành học bổng toàn phần)

• Offer letter from an overseas university (thư mời nhập học từ trường nước ngoài)

• IELTS 7.5 overall (IELTS tổng 7.5)

• Screenshot posted in the family Zalo group (ảnh chụp màn hình đăng trong nhóm Zalo gia đình)

• News spread like wildfire (tin lan như cháy rừng)

• Jump for joy (nhảy cẫng lên vì vui)

• Treat everyone to milk tea (bao mọi người trà sữa)

• Proud as punch (tự hào vô cùng)

• Celebrate with a hotpot dinner (ăn lẩu mừng chiến thắng)

3. Sample Answer

The best news I got was that my cousin Trang landed a full scholarship to do her Master’s in Education in Australia. It was something we’d all been rooting for, because she’d been juggling a full-time teaching job and late-night IELTS prep for months. I first heard about it back in March this year, right in the middle of my own hectic exam-marking period. Out of the blue, I got a message—actually, a whole series of them—buzzing my phone nonstop.

Turns out, she broke the news to me on Zalo, but not before a screenshot popped up in our family group: the official offer letter from an overseas university with the bolded word “Full Scholarship”. Honestly, I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth a minute later when she called, squealing in my ear. From that moment, it spread like wildfire in our circle—aunts, uncles, random cousins I barely talk to—everyone jumped in to congratulate her.

How did it all turn out? Well, after the initial chaos of happy tears, she treated everyone to milk tea and promised a hotpot dinner before flying out. The preparation phase was tough—visa papers, medical checks—but every step felt lighter because the good news gave her momentum.

As for me, I was over the moon. My heart honestly melted when I heard her voice crack with happiness. I even got goosebumps listening to her describe the moment she opened the email. Above all, it gave me a real sense of pride—I was proud as punch to see someone in my family break through and chase a dream abroad. It wasn’t just her victory; it felt like a shared win for all of us who had cheered her on during those long, exhausting months. Even now, whenever I think about it, I can’t help but smile. That piece of good news didn’t just lift her up—it lifted our whole family’s spirits.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

1. Is it good to share news on social media?

Expressions:

• It’s a double-edged sword… (Đó là con dao hai lưỡi…)

• On the plus side… / On the flip side… (Về mặt tích cực… / Ở chiều ngược lại…)

• You can reach everyone in one go… (Bạn có thể báo cho tất cả cùng lúc…)

• Privacy can get compromised… (Sự riêng tư có thể bị ảnh hưởng…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Instant updates to a wide circle (cập nhật tức thì tới nhiều người)

• Oversharing personal details (chia sẻ quá đà thông tin cá nhân)

• Digital footprints last forever (dấu vết số tồn tại mãi)

• Selective sharing with close friends list (chia sẻ có chọn lọc với danh sách bạn thân)

Sample Answer:
It’s a double-edged sword. On the plus side, social media lets you reach everyone in one go, so good news spreads fast. On the flip side, privacy can get compromised if you overshare personal details. I think it’s fine as long as people use settings wisely and keep in mind that digital footprints last forever.

2. Should the media focus only on good news?

Expressions:

• If you ask me, balance is key… (Theo tôi, cân bằng là quan trọng…)

• Sugar-coating reality isn’t healthy… (Tô hồng thực tế không tốt…)

• People deserve the full picture… (Mọi người xứng đáng biết toàn cảnh…)

• Too much doom and gloom is draining though… (Quá nhiều tiêu cực thì cũng kiệt sức…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Constructive journalism (báo chí mang tính xây dựng)

• Solutions-focused reporting (đưa tin tập trung giải pháp)

• Media fatigue from negative headlines (mệt mỏi vì tin tiêu cực)

• Highlight success stories & role models (làm nổi bật câu chuyện thành công & hình mẫu)

Sample Answer:
If you ask me, balance is key. Sugar-coating reality isn’t healthy, but endless bad news causes media fatigue. A good mix—solutions-focused reporting and genuine success stories—can inform and inspire. People deserve the full picture, not just doom or just fairy tales.

3. How does social media help people access information?

Expressions:

• Information is literally at your fingertips… (Thông tin nằm ngay trong tầm tay bạn…)

• Algorithms curate personalised feeds… (Thuật toán chọn lọc nội dung cá nhân hóa…)

• The downside is misinformation spreads fast… (Mặt trái là tin giả lan rất nhanh…)

• Fact-checking becomes crucial. (Việc kiểm chứng thông tin trở nên cực kỳ quan trọng.)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Real-time updates / live streams (cập nhật thời gian thực / phát trực tiếp)

• Crowdsourced eyewitness accounts (nguồn tin nhân chứng từ cộng đồng)

• Echo chambers & filter bubbles (buồng dội âm & bong bóng lọc)

• Use verified sources / official pages (dùng nguồn xác thực / trang chính thức)

Sample Answer:
Information is literally at your fingertips with real-time updates and even crowdsourced eyewitness accounts. Algorithms curate personalised feeds, which is convenient but creates echo chambers. That’s why fact-checking becomes crucial, and people should rely on verified sources.

4. What types of good news do people usually share in communities?

Expressions:

• Off the top of my head… (Nghĩ nhanh thì…)

• Milestones are the big ones… (Các cột mốc là tin lớn…)

• Anything that brings people together… (Bất cứ điều gì gắn kết mọi người…)

• Feel-good community projects… (Dự án cộng đồng khiến mọi người thấy vui…)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Births, engagements, graduations (sinh con, đính hôn, tốt nghiệp)

• New jobs / promotions (việc làm mới / thăng chức)

• Charity drives hitting targets (chiến dịch từ thiện đạt mục tiêu)

• Local events: new park opening, road improvements (sự kiện địa phương: mở công viên mới, sửa đường)

Sample Answer:
Off the top of my head, milestones are the big ones—births, weddings, graduations, new jobs or promotions. Communities also celebrate charity drives hitting targets or local improvements, like a new playground. Basically, anything that brings people together and lifts the mood gets shared.

5. Do most people enjoy hearing good news from friends?

Expressions:

• Nine times out of ten, yes… (Chín lần trong mười, có chứ…)

• It’s contagious—in a good way… (Nó lây lan, theo nghĩa tích cực…)

• Unless jealousy creeps in… (Trừ khi ghen tị len lỏi…)

• Genuine friends celebrate your wins. (Bạn bè thật sự sẽ vui với thành công của bạn.)

Ideas & Collocations:

• Emotional contagion of positivity (sự lan tỏa cảm xúc tích cực)

• Toxic comparison on social media (so sánh độc hại trên mạng)

• Supportive circles vs. competitive circles (nhóm bạn hỗ trợ vs. cạnh tranh)

• Shared joy strengthens bonds (niềm vui chung củng cố mối quan hệ)

Sample Answer:
Nine times out of ten, yes. Good news is contagious—in a good way, and shared joy strengthens bonds. Genuine friends celebrate your wins, though jealousy can creep in for some. Overall, people love positive updates, especially when they feel included rather than compared.