Describe a Famous Person (Public Figure) You Would Like to Meet: IELTS Cue Card

A public figure I’d really love to meet is Chris Hadfield, the Canadian astronaut. He’s retired from spaceflight now, but he’s still well known as a writer and speaker.

He’s famous for a few reasons. He flew into space three times, and on his last mission, in 2013, he became the first Canadian to command the International Space Station. But what made him famous with ordinary people, rather than just with space fans, was what he shared from up there. He posted hundreds of photos of Earth and short videos explaining everyday life in space, like how you brush your teeth or why you can’t cry properly without gravity. He even recorded a version of David Bowie’s song “Space Oddity” on the station, which went viral.

If I met him, I’d want to ask him two things. First, what was the most frightening moment of his career, and how he managed to stay calm, because astronauts have to make life-or-death decisions under enormous pressure. Second, I’d like to know whether seeing the Earth from space changed the way he thinks about everyday problems, since he often talks about how fragile the planet looks from orbit.

The reason I admire him is that he made science feel accessible and exciting. I was never particularly interested in physics at school, but I remember watching his videos and suddenly finding it fascinating. He also comes across as very humble; he always talks about the teams on the ground rather than himself. And his idea of preparing carefully for everything that could go wrong is something I’ve found genuinely useful, even for exams. Meeting him would be a real once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Useful language:went virallife-or-death decisionsunder enormous pressurehow fragile the planet looksmade science feel accessiblecomes across as very humblea once-in-a-lifetime experience

For some it’s about money and the lifestyle that comes with fame, but I think many people are driven by a wish to be recognised and to feel that their life matters. Social media has made fame seem much more achievable, so more young people now say they want to be famous, sometimes without being sure what they want to be famous for.

Useful language:driven byseem more achievable

To some extent, yes, because young people copy them, whether they like it or not. A footballer or a singer can influence millions of teenagers’ attitudes to things like health or education. Having said that, they are only human, and I think parents and teachers should be the main role models, not celebrities.

Useful language:to some extentrole models

The biggest one is the loss of privacy. Famous people can’t go shopping or eat in a restaurant without being photographed, and any mistake becomes public. There’s also enormous pressure to stay popular, and online criticism can be very harsh. It’s not surprising that many celebrities talk openly about stress and anxiety.

Useful language:the loss of privacyenormous pressureharsh

Unfortunately not, at least in terms of attention and pay. Entertainers get far more media coverage than scientists, even though scientists’ work often has a much bigger impact on our lives. The pandemic changed this a little, as people suddenly paid attention to doctors and researchers, but I think the effect has faded.

Useful language:media coveragea much bigger impactfaded