Describe a success in your life

Band 8 Sample

Well, the success that I would like to share with you today is about my contribution to a social welfare activity that occurred about 5 years back when I was just a freshman in college. I really feel proud of this achievement as I believe I have done something really good for society.

At that time, the local authorities in my hometown had planned to destroy a public park and build a shopping mall complex instead. I had taken notice ofthem cutting down the trees so I gathered my friends to protest, though it was a very complicated situation.

The reason for me to do that was because that park was the only green spaceand recreational area for the local people. They came there every day to exercise, and enjoy the fresh air in order to maintain and improve their health. As well as this, it’s also home to a large number of wild birds and other animals, which I feel is a very important thing to conserve.

I know that going against the authorities is a really hard thing to do but I felt that I needed to do it for the sake of the community. We made some plans to contact the media and go to the local authorities to express our view and opinion, and in the end, we succeeded and the construction of the shopping mall was cancelled, so I feel like this really was a success in my life.

Vocabulary highlights:

1. social welfare – to do with the health, happiness and living conditions of people within a society
2. occurred – happened
3. a freshman in college – first year student in university or college
4. local authorities – the local police or government
5. shopping mall complex – one or more buildings that include many shops, restaurants, cafes and possibly a cinema and other facilities
6. taken notice of – to have seen or paid attention to something
7. to protest – a strong complaint or argument against something or someone
8. green space – an area with a lot of trees, grass
9. recreational area – an outdoor area usually with a lot of nature used by people for activities that help them to relax and have fun, such as playing sport, exercising, walking, having a picnic etc
10. home to – the home of
11. conserve – to keep and protect from damage, waste or loss
12. going against – to argue or challenge someone or something
13. for the sake of – for the benefit of

Other Sample: Described a success you have had in your life