When I was a child, my cousin once told me a story early and even after these years, I remember it like it happened yesterday. In fact, I don’t recall the exact name, but based on what I know now, it seems similar to a traditional Chinese folktale called the Empty Pot. In the story, there is a king who wants to choose his successor. Firstly, he gives all the children in the kingdom a seed and tells them that whoever grows the most beautiful flower in one week will take the crown. Everyone is eager to show off their skills and may even buy ready-made flowers to impress the king. However, there is one boy who plants his seed as given exactly, but nothing grows. On the day of the contest, while everyone else pulls their blooms, his pot is empty. The king then reveals that all the seeds had been boiled beforehand, so none could grow. The contest was actually a test of honesty. So, as the boy played it straight and didn’t cheat, he is chosen as the king’s successor. The reason why I am fond of this story is that honesty and integrity go a long way. Even though I don’t remember the name perfectly, it has stayed in my memory since childhood and always reminds me that being truthful matters more than trying to cut corners to get ahead.
Band 8+: Describe an Interesting traditional story
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When I was a child, my cousin once told me a story, and even after all these years, I remember it like it happened yesterday. In fact, I don't recall the exact name, but based on what I know now, it seems similar to a traditional Chinese folktale called the Empty Pot. In the story, there is a king who wants to choose his successor. Firstly, he gives all the children in the kingdom a seed and tells them that whoever grows the most beautiful flower in one week will take the crown. Everyone is eager to show off their skills and may even buy ready-made flowers to impress the king. However, there is one boy who plants his seed as given, but nothing grows. On the day of the contest, while everyone else pulls their blooms, his pot is empty. The king then reveals that all the seeds had been boiled beforehand, so none could grow. The contest was actually a test of honesty. Since the boy played it straight and didn't cheat, he is chosen as the king's successor. The reason I am fond of this story is that honesty and integrity go a long way. Even though I don't remember the name perfectly, it has stayed in my memory since childhood and always reminds me that being truthful matters more than trying to cut corners to get ahead.
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Speaking Time: 92 seconds