Describe a historical building you have been to
Speaking cue card with answers(30 cue)
You should say:
– Where it is
– What it looks like
– What it is used for now.
– What you learned there
– And how you felt about this historical building
· Every year, my parents used to take us to different city in India, during summer vacations.
· During these visits, we visited various historical places.
· One such place, which really left a big impression on me was the Red Fort in Delhi.
· I visited it with my family when I was very when I was in 9th or 10th standard
· The Red Fort was built by Shah Jahan, when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi.
· After that, Red Fort was the main palace of Mughal Kings till their eventual decline.
· Today, it is just a historical attraction.
· The Prime Minister gives a speech from the Red Fort on Independence Day, 15th August every year.
· The Red Fort is in surprisingly amazing conditions despite its age.
· Most of the red marble has withstood the vagaries of nature.
· However, I remember some of the walkways were crumbling due to lack of repair.
· Originally, it had a lot of beautiful artwork and jewels.
· However, they were looted during one of the invasions by the Persians.
· Later, some of the other artwork and the Peacock Throne were taken to Delhi after the failed India Independence uprising.
· It was really impressive visiting Red Fort.
· It represented the centre of India during its glory.
· Despite being looted and attacked many times, it still gives off a feeling of immense power and strength.
· It generated a sense of great patriotism and national pride in me.
· Moreover, the impressive construction shows the skill off our past builders.
· I would love to visit it again in the future.
Part 3 Follow Up Questions
Why do people visit historical places?
People visit historical places for many reasons. Mainly, it connects people with their roots and gives them an opportunity to learn about their cultural heritage. It instills a sense of patriotism and pride. In today’s time, it combines learning with entertainment, an opportunity to learn something while having fun.
Do Indian people like visiting historical places?
Yes, I think they are always crowded. Whenever, I have visited historical places, there is always a huge number of people at these places. So, people do really like to visit these places. I think Indian people are very nationalistic and visiting places is about reigniting that feeling of pride and patriotism.
Should government fund protection of historical places?
Yes, I think it is the government’s responsibility to protect our culture and past and protecting these buildings is paramount for that purpose. Today, people are losing interest in visiting these places and ticket prices are not enough to fund maintenance of these buildings, so the government needs to come forwards to make sure they are protected.
Is it necessary to protect historical buildings?
I think the importance of historical buildings cannot be overstated. They represent our roots, our cultural heritage. They are a reminder of our historical achievements in architecture. Even today, people are not sure how the Pyramids or Taj Mahal was built without today’s modern technology. I think it would be shame to let them go into decline.
