Duolingo English Test Speak About the Photo Practice #9 — Upper Level

This photo shows... · I think... · It seems that... · This kind of...

This photo shows a community garden located in an urban setting. The garden contains multiple raised beds filled with what appear to be vegetables and herbs at various stages of growth. Several residents of different ages are actively tending to the plants, which suggests this is a shared space that brings the local community together. The tall apartment buildings visible in the background provide a striking contrast between the organic, green garden and the dense, built environment surrounding it. I think urban gardens like this serve multiple purposes: they provide fresh produce, reduce the urban heat island effect, and create social spaces where neighbors can connect. This kind of green initiative seems especially important in cities where residents may have limited access to natural environments.

In this photo... · What I find particularly interesting is... · This represents... · I think...

In this photo, I can see a modern electric vehicle charging facility. A row of electric cars are plugged into charging stations, and the facility is well-lit with LED lighting. What I find particularly interesting is that solar panels are visible on the roof above the vehicles, which suggests that the facility may be generating at least some of its own renewable electricity to power the charging process. This represents a genuinely sustainable approach to transportation infrastructure. The scene reflects the growing adoption of electric vehicles and the expanding ecosystem of infrastructure needed to support them. I think images like this illustrate how the transition to cleaner transportation is not just about the vehicles themselves but about redesigning the broader energy and logistics systems that support them.

This is a... · All that remain... · This kind of... · It is a stark...

This is a deeply troubling photograph. It shows a hillside that has been almost entirely stripped of its tree cover through large-scale deforestation. All that remain in much of the frame are tree stumps, while a thin strip of original forest is barely visible in the foreground, highlighting the scale of what has been lost. The exposed hillside shows clear signs of soil erosion, with channels cut into the earth by rainwater runoff—a direct consequence of removing the tree roots that previously held the soil in place. Heavy machinery can be seen in the background, suggesting that clearing operations are still ongoing. This kind of deforestation has devastating consequences for biodiversity, water cycles, and carbon storage. It is a stark visual reminder of the tension between short-term economic pressures and long-term ecological stability.