CPE SPEAKING PROMPTS

PROMPT CARD 1

What effect does growing older have on relationships? 

• In the family 
• Friends 
• At school and work 
 
1 What kind of relationships do you think last the longest? Why? 
2 Do you think that the skill of making relationships should be taught at school? 
3 How important do you think it is to like the people you work with?

PROMPT CARD 2

What do you think is the best way to prepare children for life? 
• In the home 
• At school 
• Leisure activities 
 
1 Do you agree that schooldays are wasted on the young? 
2 What do you regret about your own schooldays? 
3 What skill would you most like to learn in the future? Why?

PROMPT CARD 3

How important do you think film will be as the entertainment of the future? 
• Technological developments 
• Costs 
• Changing lifestyles 
 
1 What kind of films do you like to see and what do you dislike? 
2 How influential do you think films are on young people’s behaviour? 
3 Do you think that films should be censored more? Why/Why not?

PROMPT CARD 4

What do you think makes some types of advertising potentially dangerous? 

• Content 
• Medium 
• Target market 
 
1 How much are you influenced by advertising? 
2 Do you think that society has become too materialistic? 
3 Why do you think that shopping has become a leisure activity?
PROMPT CARD 5

Is crime a bigger social problem now than it was in the past? 

• Types of crime
• Detection of crime 
• Control of crime 

1 Do you agree with some people who say that the police should never carry guns? 
2 How do you feel about the way crimes are reported in the media nowadays? 
3 What effect do you think the Internet could have on crime?

PROMPT CARD 6

How do you imagine life in cities in the future? 

• Work 
• Leisure 
• Travel 
 
1 Some people feel that modern buildings are ugly. What do you think? 
2 Which city would you most like to visit? Why? 
3 How far do you agree that there are more disadvantages than advantages in living in a city?

PROMPT CARD 7

What responsibilities do you think individuals have towards the environment? 

• Lifestyle 
• Shopping 
• Financial 
 
1 What is being done in your area to improve or protect the environment? 
2 How would you like to see people made more aware of environmental problems? 
3 What do you think is the biggest environmental problem in your area? 

PROMPT CARD 8

How important is it for young people to have good role models? 

• At school 
• In leisure time 
• At work 
 
1 Who do you think is a good role model for young people in your country? Why? 
2 What would you most like to be admired for? 
3 How much is success due to individual effort and how much to luck?

PROMPT CARD 9

Do you think that having a good imagination is important in life? 

• Personal happiness 
• Personal well-being 
• Personal achievement 
 
1 Do you think that people can learn to be creative? How?
2 Do you think that technology limits imagination? 
3 Some people say that reading fiction is a waste of time? How far do you agree?
PROMPT CARD 10

What kind of work do you think should be rewarded most highly? 

• Risk and training 
• Difficulty 
• Responsibility 
 
1 How far do you agree that job satisfaction is more important than financial reward? 
2 Do you think the age of retirement should be changed? Why/Why not? 
3 How far do you agree that computer skills are essential for every worker in today’s world? 

PROMPT CARD 11

What aspects of technological development do you find most exciting? 

• Medical 
• Communications 
• Agricultural 
 
1 What aspect of technological development do you find most worrying? 
2 What aspects of life do you think have been made easier by the development of 
technology? 
3 If you could have invented one thing, what would it be? Why?

PROMPT CARD 12

What do you think people gain from foreign travel? 

• Personal 
• Cultural 
• Financial 
 
1 What dangers do you see in foreign travel? 
2 How important do you think it is that there should be a common world language? 
3 Which country would you most like to visit and why?

PROMPT CARD 13

How do you think success should be measured? 

• At home 
• At school 
• At work 
 
1 How would you most like to be successful? Why? 
2 Do you think that there is too much emphasis on formal qualifications nowadays? 
3 What kind of people are usually successful in life?
PROMPT CARD 14

Why do think books continue to be popular in this technological age? 

• For children 
• For workers 
• For travelers 
 
1 Do you think that people should be encouraged to read more books? Why? 
2 What is the best book you have ever read? 
3 Do you think that writers should be well-paid? Why/Why not?