Describe a crowded place you went to.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When & why did you go there?
  • Who were you with?
  • How did you feel about the place?
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34 unique answers with expert feedback

Band 6-7

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Last year, my friends and I had visited a place called Goa in southern part of India which we had been planning for centuries to come. This vacation was a mini vacation. It was a getaway plan as we were finally rid of all the studies and the exhaustion from work. We wanted to be free and have time talking to ourselves and getting to know each other better. But as soon as we dropped down to the flight in Goa, we acknowledged that there were so many people who wanted to do the same thing as us. Although we were slightly disappointed at first due to the overcrowding, we decided that it would not be a bother to us because we were there for fun and not anything else. As soon as we reached our hotel which was trafficked with the people coming right in after us, we decided to go to the beach and watch the sunset to cool off our heads. As soon as we reached the beach, no matter the amount of people that were there, we felt free and alive. And this is because all of us are truly multiple bodies one soul. All of us enjoy sunsets, the sunsets.

Band 6-7

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The third place I've been to was a place called, it was a temple which is located in a small village called Devarayanathurga which is about 800 km from Bangalore, the place where I stay. I had been to this place about 2 months ago. I visited with my mom, my father and my mother's sister. We travelled there via public transport. We travelled early in the morning and reached there by 12 pm in the afternoon. The place was heavily crowded with a lot of people as there was a fair going on that day and they were taking the God around the temple for a ride. There was a lot of people there that day and it was really very crowded actually and that place is filled with positive vibes and people regularly visit that place because it is such a devotional place and they believe in that God a lot because people see that praying there has helped them in many ways and all of the issues have been solved. So that is the recent crowded place I've been to because that God is a really powerful God who

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IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
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Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

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Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
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Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

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Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
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Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

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Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
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Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

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Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read
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Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

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CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Band 6-7

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I usually try to avoid going in a crowded place but sometimes I have to go because of my family and my friends. Last year I went to Amritsar which is pretty much a crowded place. It has a lot of crowd. I went there in the February 2024 and I booked a train from Phagwada which is the nearby station for me and I reached there at 6am in the morning. I went there with my friend whose name is Gurdeep Kumar and we reached at sharp 6am because we have to pick a train that will be there for 6.15am. We went there at 8.30am and when we reached there, it has a lot of crowd when we reached at Amritsar railway station. After that we picked an auto to go to Golden Temple and we stayed there for almost 2-3 It took us 1 hour to do our 2 prayers for us which shows how crowded it is.

Band 6-7

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00:00

So, I feel the most crowded place I have been to was last month, when, if you know Diljit Dosanjh, he came to perform in Hyderabad, I think in December. And all of us, which were like 20 people, a group of my friends from college, all of us went there. And I think we had a lot of fun. So, it was very crowded, I believe, there were around 5000 passes sold, so a gathering of such a huge, of such huge was very, you know, very not neat and clean, there was a lot of things on the floor, and it was not really that great, but I think the security and the view of the stage was very, very clearly visible, that was a very good advantage, because we had paid a lot of, we had paid a lot to get a pass. And I think it was all in all good, but then there were some cases of phone theft and wallet pickpocketers of cases of pickpocketers being there, but the police really helped, but then such a large crowd, you cannot really do anything if something gets lost of yours. And I think all of us were really careful, so I think that was an advantage, but if something would have happened like that, it would have been really upsetting. So I think that was the main disadvantage of being there. And all in all, the concert was really great, all of us had a lot of fun. There was no pushing around, or you know, unwanted touching, anything like that happened. It was just a great, fun concert that all of us enjoyed a lot, and I think

Band 6-7

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The crowded place which I am going to talk about is the church which is there in my hometown and I being a Catholic teacher, we have to do our duty during the Christmas time into the churches which are there in the school amenities and we have to perform our duties every year during the festive season of Christmas. So I have to go there to fulfill my duties and also I really enjoy being around Jesus and it's a very holy place for me although I being a Hindu but I don't believe in all these things. I believe that we should follow all the traditions and it's a very religious thing to follow all the customs of other religion as well. And I went there with my husband and son and of course because we were having our duties so my all colleagues and the staff members, all the office staff and the teaching staff, primary, seniors, everybody was there in the church. Some of them they were having their duties at the time and some have done their duties and they were enjoying themselves. After I have completed my duty, I went to the fair and I enjoyed in between so many Christians and see what their tradition is and I also found very pleased and it was a very happy moment for me. And whenever it's a festive time, we all should enjoy ourselves, leaving behind all our tensions and worries and we should encourage everyone to enjoy and to light up their mood and focus more on the future and to forget about the past. So I went to church.
Show all 34 answers

Cue 1:When & why did you go there?

  • Start by mentioning the specific event or occasion that led you to visit the crowded place.
  • Explain your motivation for going there, such as a festival, a concert, or a special sale.

Example

I went to Connaught Place in Delhi last Diwali because I wanted to experience the festive atmosphere and do some shopping. It’s a popular spot during the festival season, and I was excited to see the decorations and enjoy the lively vibe.


Cue 2:Who were you with?

  • Mention the people you were with and your relationship to them, such as friends, family, or colleagues.
  • Describe how their presence contributed to your experience of the crowded place.

Example

I was with my close friends, Priya and Aman. We decided to go together because we always enjoy shopping and exploring new places as a group. Their company made the crowded environment feel more fun and less overwhelming.


Cue 3:How did you feel about the place?

  • Share your initial feelings upon arriving at the crowded place, whether it was excitement, anxiety, or curiosity.
  • Reflect on how your feelings changed as you spent more time there.

Example

At first, I felt a bit anxious because of the huge crowd and the noise. However, as I got into the spirit of the festival, I started to enjoy the energy around me. The vibrant lights and the laughter of people made it a memorable experience.


Conclusion

  • Summarize your overall impression of the crowded place and its significance to you.
  • Mention any lessons learned or memorable moments that stood out during your visit.

Example

Overall, visiting Connaught Place during Diwali was an unforgettable experience. It taught me to embrace the chaos of crowded places and appreciate the joy of celebrating festivals with friends. The memories we created that day will always hold a special place in my heart.


Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.


Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Lack of Specific Details

Avoid giving vague answers without specific details about the crowded place. This can make your response less engaging and informative.

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Tip

Include specific details like the location, time of visit, and activities happening to make your answer more vivid and interesting.


2: Ignoring Emotional Response

Not expressing how you felt about the crowded place can make your answer seem flat. Emotions add depth to your response.

bulb icon

Tip

Share your feelings about the atmosphere, whether it was overwhelming, exciting, or enjoyable, to create a more personal connection.


Neglecting to Mention Companions

Failing to mention who you were with can miss an important aspect of your experience. Companions can influence your feelings about the place.

bulb icon

Tip

Briefly describe who you were with and how their presence affected your experience to provide a fuller picture.


calendar icon

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

location icon

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

location icon

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

location icon

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

All Answers

Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

Band 6-7

The third place I've been to was a place called, it was a temple which is located in a small village called Devarayanathurga which is about 800 km from Bangalore, the place where I stay. I had been to this place about 2 months ago. I visited with my mom, my father and my mother's sister. We travelled there via public transport. We travelled early in the morning and reached there by 12 pm in the afternoon. The place was heavily crowded with a lot of people as there was a fair going on that day and they were taking the God around the temple for a ride. There was a lot of people there that day and it was really very crowded actually and that place is filled with positive vibes and people regularly visit that place because it is such a devotional place and they believe in that God a lot because people see that praying there has helped them in many ways and all of the issues have been solved. So that is the recent crowded place I've been to because that God is a really powerful God who

Band 6-7

A crowded place that comes to my mind that I went to was Padrinath. It is the holy temple where many devotees visit every year. I went there in 2022 with two families including my mamu and my maasi. My cousins were also there with me. We went there by a traveller bus and we really enjoyed on our way there. So as I went to Padrinath there were many devotees there. We had to stand in a line but that was very enjoyable. We ate Maggi beside the stalls and we talked with each other and spent our time well. So as we were going forward in the crowded place I saw that many people were taking the VIP entry to the temple which was weird for me because in India there are many corruption. So I thought that it is very illegal to go there. But still we went to the normal line and entered the temple. I felt really surreal. I really enjoyed being there. I was stunned to see the temple. It was made so beautifully with all the carvings and structures. So when we exited the temple we also clicked so many pics there. It was such a beautiful place situated on the mountains. I really had a great time there. Also my cousins and I were shooting some reels there which was a really memorable time for me. So for me this crowded place will always be in my mind.

Band 6-7

I usually try to avoid going in a crowded place but sometimes I have to go because of my family and my friends. Last year I went to Amritsar which is pretty much a crowded place. It has a lot of crowd. I went there in the February 2024 and I booked a train from Phagwada which is the nearby station for me and I reached there at 6am in the morning. I went there with my friend whose name is Gurdeep Kumar and we reached at sharp 6am because we have to pick a train that will be there for 6.15am. We went there at 8.30am and when we reached there, it has a lot of crowd when we reached at Amritsar railway station. After that we picked an auto to go to Golden Temple and we stayed there for almost 2-3 It took us 1 hour to do our 2 prayers for us which shows how crowded it is.

Band 6-7

The crowded place I visited recently is Chikpet in Bangalore. I went there quite a lot of times but recently was Chikpet and I went there for shopping on weekends. So that was a bad thing because on weekends it will be very crowded. I went there with my brother and my friend, we had to go for a shop for wedding shopping. So we went there and we went with the morning, morning it was okayish, it was not that crowded but as the time reached to mid-afternoon, this crowd started getting more and it was very difficult to pass through the streets because there is no proper alignment, the shops are opened everywhere, each after each it is open and on roads they are displaying clothes and other objects, so it was very difficult to walk through it and in the evening the crowd increased more than expected and we had to come out from there with so much of difficulties because walking through that lane, it's very narrow lane, so walking through that lane was very difficult for us.

Band 6-7

I routinely visit shopping malls, restaurants and theatres where there are large crowds of people. I like spending time in such places with my family or friends as they give a sense of happening and I personally like the hustle and bustle. I visited a street market in Delhi last month when I was touring the city for a few days. The market is called Connaught Place which is widely famous across the country for its cheap and durable products. I wanted to go there since year when I first heard that it sells books at a relatively cheaper rate. My friend who lives there invited me over for her birthday party and took me out to see various attractions of the city later the week I stayed there. The market did not only have books but also many other things like jewellery, handbags, clothing including fashion from international brands available at reasonable price. I usually like going out to buy jewellery and I did not hesitate to purchase a whole lot from there. I utterly loved the market and brought a bunch of products that I did not even think I needed. It was fun experience as I got to spend time shopping with my friend.

Band 6-7

In November 2021, I went to Mathura Vrindavan, which is the main temple of Lord Krishna. It is considered one of the most prestigious religious places because first of all, it's the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Pilgrims from all over the India, in fact, all over the world come to say their prayers. That is why generally a very crowded place, but overall, I would like to say that it was a very surreal experience. We left our hotel quite early in the morning because we were already aware that it was going to be very crowded, but even though leaving before time was not that big of a deal, because it is generally crowded all the time. My father and I were still okay with the crowd being there, but my mother and my younger sister are actually quite claustrophobic, but it was all worth it because at the end, we got to see the immaculate statue of Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha. So I would like to say, even though it was crowded, but it was a very wonderful experience one should have in life.

Band 6-7

So, I feel the most crowded place I have been to was last month, when, if you know Diljit Dosanjh, he came to perform in Hyderabad, I think in December. And all of us, which were like 20 people, a group of my friends from college, all of us went there. And I think we had a lot of fun. So, it was very crowded, I believe, there were around 5000 passes sold, so a gathering of such a huge, of such huge was very, you know, very not neat and clean, there was a lot of things on the floor, and it was not really that great, but I think the security and the view of the stage was very, very clearly visible, that was a very good advantage, because we had paid a lot of, we had paid a lot to get a pass. And I think it was all in all good, but then there were some cases of phone theft and wallet pickpocketers of cases of pickpocketers being there, but the police really helped, but then such a large crowd, you cannot really do anything if something gets lost of yours. And I think all of us were really careful, so I think that was an advantage, but if something would have happened like that, it would have been really upsetting. So I think that was the main disadvantage of being there. And all in all, the concert was really great, all of us had a lot of fun. There was no pushing around, or you know, unwanted touching, anything like that happened. It was just a great, fun concert that all of us enjoyed a lot, and I think

Band 6-7

India is a densely populated country, so there are lots of places which are often crowded. Some of these places are religion shrines, historical sites, shopping malls, etc. Here I would like to talk about a shopping mall named Alante Mall, which is always congested with inhabitants. It is located in the industrial area of Chandigarh. Chandigarh is the capital town of Punjab. The mall has three floors and two levels of parking. I went there for shopping with my friends on 2nd January, 2025. Alante Mall is the biggest mall of North India. We also watched movie there. I also purchased many things from there because at that time there were huge discounts at all the things. This mall is mostly crowded on weekends because people have days off on weekends. So overall it was a great experience for me to visit there. Now I am a regular visitor at the mall and I do most of my shopping with discounts at Alante Mall.

Band 6-7

Okay, so recently last October I went to Kolkata for Durga Pooja and there is a road named boarding road where the huge Devi is kept for Darshana. So it's very famous among Indians so people from different parts of countries visit that place during Durga Pooja. It was suggested by my brother-in-law who is a Bengali himself so he suggested me to come there and visit the Pandal once at least there before I go to the for my higher studies. I went along with my brother-in-law and my sister and his family and what I found which was not good for me was it was very congested and unbreathable environment as I mentioned it is a very posh place and very famous place so people from different parts they have crowded it and because there was no restriction what kind of people can enter the basic civic sense of people like people were lacking the basic civic sense they were spitting here and there and they were littering around which I did not like and also the thing was like I personally don't like crowded places where I like silent peaceful places so I would rather prefer to go for a vacation where there is sea breeze and silent chirping birds, silent environment rather than going to a crowded place though being famous I don't enjoy it so just to in order to like tick mark my bucket list which is not even having it so last October I went to Kolkata for Durga Puja celebration and there is a very famous road there which is named as boring road and they organize there is an organization there in boring road and they put up a very huge pandal in which Devi is placed and people from different states of India visit that place in order to have darshana over there it is very famous amongst the Hindus and as well as irrespective of religion even I had seen Christians and Muslims visiting it because of its popularity so my brother-in-law Orko he suggested me to visit that place as he himself is a Bengali so he knows very well that what kind of places are there in Kolkata so when I went there I I went for the place boring road after two days of my visit along with my brother-in-law's family and when I went there I didn't find that place that comfortable breathable also it was very congested and people were coming from different parts of India and there is no restriction of anyone entering that pandal so people who were lacking even though people are lacking in basic civic sense they were still allowed to enter the pandals they were littering here and there and then they were spitting also here and there which I did not like personally so it was kind of unhygienic uncomfortable environment for me I would rather go for a peaceful vacation than going to a congested place

Band 6-7

It was a late Saturday afternoon that I had gone, along with my brothers, to a place called Dadar. Dadar is a central station, which is a junction of various rail lines in the city of Bombay. Bombay itself was a crowded place, but I believe Dadar was the most crowded. I mean, just the number of people in Dadar, I felt as if I was one of the wildebeests in the big rung of the herd. Difficult to travel, difficult to walk, and difficult to even find your home. That's what I felt. As I went in, as we get down at the Dadar railway station, in fact I did once, I did not get down. I was pushed down from a running train. Thankfully, because of the crowd, I was able to stand up because there were too many people and I couldn't fall over. So I got down and I was followed by my brothers getting down from the train. The three of us, after getting down, firstly wanted to search where we are, each other, and then come together and I said, of course, if we can just be in awe of the number of people that we were surrounded with. It was exasperating. However, I think it ended up ringing a bell in our head that we were still young kids and we can still be interested to see what will happen. So we held each other's hands and decided to move towards the floral markets. Ended up asking a few vendors if they could signpost us to the floral markets.
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