Luyện theo cấu trúc Cambridge IELTS 12 · Speaking Part 1–3: Maps and Finding the Way

1. Not really, to be honest. In my own neighbourhood I'm fine, but as soon as I'm somewhere unfamiliar, I tend to get turned around, especially when I come out of a shopping centre or a metro station. I usually rely on landmarks, like a tall building or a river, rather than street names.

2. Almost always my phone. It's much quicker, and it tells me how long the journey will take and whether there's heavy traffic. The only time I've used a paper map recently was on a hiking trip, where there was no signal at all, and I was surprised how hard it was to read.

3. Yes, quite often actually, because I live near a popular tourist area. Last month a couple asked me how to get to the old quarter, and since it was a bit complicated to explain, I ended up walking with them part of the way.

4. A little, in geography lessons. We learned about scales and symbols and how to find places using a grid, but it was mostly theory. I don't remember ever using a real map outdoors at school, which is a pity, because I think I'd be better at it now.

I'd like to talk about a time I got completely lost in a big city during a school trip when I was about fifteen. We were visiting the capital for three days, and on the second afternoon our teachers gave us a couple of hours of free time in a large market area, on the condition that we met back at the bus at five o'clock.

I went off with one friend, and we got so absorbed in looking at the stalls that we didn't pay any attention to where we were going. The market was a maze of narrow lanes that all looked exactly the same, and when we finally checked the time, it was already half past four. To make things worse, my phone battery had died and my friend didn't have mobile data.

At first we tried to retrace our steps, but we just kept coming back to the same fruit stall, which was quite frustrating. In the end, I remembered that the bus was parked next to a large post office with a clock tower, so we started asking stallholders how to get there. One elderly lady not only pointed the way but actually drew us a little map on the back of a receipt, and thanks to her we made it back with about five minutes to spare.

At the time I was really anxious, because I was afraid we'd be in serious trouble with the teachers. Looking back, though, I'm quite grateful for the experience. It taught me to always notice a few landmarks when I'm somewhere new, and it reminded me how kind strangers can be when you ask for help.

1. I think it's partly a matter of practice. People who walk, cycle or drive around a lot, such as taxi drivers or delivery workers, build up a detailed mental map of their area. Upbringing probably plays a role too; children who were allowed to explore their neighbourhood on their own tend to develop a better sense of direction than those who were always driven everywhere.

2. To some extent, yes. When you simply follow instructions like 'turn left in two hundred metres', you don't really pay attention to your surroundings, so you don't learn the route. That said, the apps have huge benefits. They make it possible for people to travel confidently in unfamiliar places, and they save a lot of time and stress, so I wouldn't want to go back to life without them.

3. Yes, I believe so. Technology can fail, for example when there's no signal in the mountains or your battery runs out, and in those situations map-reading could be genuinely important for safety. Besides, learning to read a map teaches children useful skills such as understanding scale and thinking spatially, which help in subjects like maths and science.

4. Clear signs in several languages would be a good start, especially near stations and tourist areas. Some cities also put up large maps on street corners with a 'you are here' marker, which I find very helpful. Making sure that public transport stops are clearly named and that the information is consistent online and on the street would also make a big difference.