2022年1-4月口语题库&外教素材 - 副本

羊驼雅思 2022年 1-4月口语题库
2022 年 1-4月
雅思口语题库&参考素材
1
目录
新题........................................................................................................................................................ 4
Part 1..............................................................................................................................................4
Mirrors........................................................................................................................................... 4
Taking photos................................................................................................................................ 4
Art.................................................................................................................................................. 5
Memory..........................................................................................................................................5
Car..................................................................................................................................................6
Dreams...........................................................................................................................................6
Mobile phones............................................................................................................................... 6
Emails............................................................................................................................................ 7
Daily routine.................................................................................................................................. 7
Time management......................................................................................................................... 8
Cinemas......................................................................................................................................... 8
TV program................................................................................................................................... 8
Lost and found............................................................................................................................... 9
Websites.........................................................................................................................................9
Sports........................................................................................................................................... 10
Street market................................................................................................................................10
Part 2............................................................................................................................................11
你喜欢待在一起的人 ............................................................................................................... 11
你在社交媒体上关注的人 ....................................................................................................... 12
对社会有贡献的人 ................................................................................................................... 13
只见过一次但想了解更多的人 ................................................................................................ 14
想住的房子或公寓..................................................................................................................... 15
去过的新地方............................................................................................................................. 17
认为有趣的城市......................................................................................................................... 18
去过的村庄某地......................................................................................................................... 19
想给朋友买的礼物 ................................................................................................................... 20
童年时得到的玩具..................................................................................................................... 22
免费得到的东西......................................................................................................................... 23
给你留下深刻印象的课程......................................................................................................... 24
你记得的别人给你讲的故事 ................................................................................................... 25
离不开的东西............................................................................................................................. 27
不喜欢的规则............................................................................................................................. 28
之前坏掉之后修好了的东西..................................................................................................... 29
和朋友的一次有趣的谈话 ....................................................................................................... 30
从长者那里学到的一项技能 ................................................................................................... 31
一件别人送给你的衣服 ........................................................................................................... 33
特别的蛋糕................................................................................................................................. 34
一首有趣的歌曲......................................................................................................................... 35
走过的很长的路......................................................................................................................... 36
为了学习另一门语言所做的一件事 ....................................................................................... 38
成功组织的快乐活动 ............................................................................................................... 39
还没有实现的抱负 .................................................................................................................... 40
保留题.................................................................................................................................................. 42
Part 1............................................................................................................................................42
Work or study.............................................................................................................................. 42
Hometown....................................................................................................................................42
Home/Accommodation................................................................................................................42
Weather........................................................................................................................................43
App.............................................................................................................................................. 43
Pets & animals............................................................................................................................. 43
Getting lost...................................................................................................................................43
Science.........................................................................................................................................43
Headphones..................................................................................................................................44
Colours.........................................................................................................................................44
Public gardens and parks............................................................................................................. 44
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Handwriting................................................................................................................................. 44
Shoes............................................................................................................................................44
Concentration...............................................................................................................................44
Spending time with others........................................................................................................... 45
Barbecue...................................................................................................................................... 45
Part 2............................................................................................................................................45
你知道的知名运动员................................................................................................................. 45
欣赏的有创造力的人................................................................................................................. 46
敬佩的商人................................................................................................................................. 48
小学给你印象最深的人 ........................................................................................................... 49
聪明解决问题的人..................................................................................................................... 51
有趣的外国人 ............................................................................................................................ 52
友好对待不喜欢的人的经历..................................................................................................... 54
为家人感到骄傲的时刻............................................................................................................. 55
艰难的决定................................................................................................................................. 57
等待特殊事件发生..................................................................................................................... 58
搬到新家/学校的经历................................................................................................................ 59
做过的一件困难的事情............................................................................................................. 61
难学的技能................................................................................................................................. 62
想学的感兴趣的技能................................................................................................................. 64
享受到的好服务......................................................................................................................... 65
朋友有的自己想要养成的习惯................................................................................................. 66
令人激动的书............................................................................................................................. 68
喜欢去的咖啡馆......................................................................................................................... 69
想去的自行车/摩托车/汽车之旅............................................................................................... 71
度假去过的地方......................................................................................................................... 73
早起的经历................................................................................................................................. 74
你花费超过预期的物品............................................................................................................. 76
你经常做的浪费时间的活动 ................................................................................................... 77
感兴趣的名人............................................................................................................................. 79
给别人建议................................................................................................................................. 80
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新题
Part 1
Mirrors
Do you like looking at yourself in the mirror?
Well, I don’t think it’s a preference.
I mean, I definitely do it on a daily basis to make myself more presentable to others, like, I need
to pay attention to my hair and/or makeover.
It’s a respectable thing to do, especially when I go to school or work with friends or colleagues.
Have you ever bought mirrors?

Female: Yes, I have often bought little mirrors to take in my handbag, so I can check myself
sporadically during the day. Perhaps before a meeting or after lunch, or if I am going from work
to a dinner or something like that.
Male: I don’t recall any, You see, I normally just use the mirrors on the washbasin at home or in
public water closets. I suppose I can also use my cellphone’s camera function in urgent cases.
Do you usually take a mirror with you?

Male: As I mentioned earlier, I normally use the mirrors in public washrooms. I mean,
smartphone is all I carry with me nowadays, it has diversified functions including taking selfies
with HD(High Definition) quality.
Female: In fact, I do have one in my handbag, but all I really need is a smartphone, it has
diversified functions...
Would you use mirrors to decorate your room?

I personally have never tried it. I think it’s a complicated matter because having mirrors at the
wrong places could be scary in the evening, it would feel like I’m always being followed at times.
However, I have indeed been to some friends’ house, they have amazing decorations with
mirrors or metallic objects with great reflection, I suppose such modeling is kinda fancy. So I
may try it in the future when I have my own flat or house.
Taking photos
Do you like to take photographs?
I love to. I think some stories or views are worth memorising. In fact, Sometimes I take photos
of the same things from different angles or with different settings on my camera. Oh, by the way,
I have a Nikon Z5, it was expensive, but I love taking photos with it.
Do you like taking selfies?

Not necessarily, I don’t quite understand the hype. I think when we want to recall great
memories, it’s best to relate to the actual object or incidence, I could re-live that feeling by
looking at those photos. In contrast, when I just look at my own visage, I only notice things like
how much weight I’ve gained.
Do you want to improve your picture-taking skills?

Absolutely, photography is my main hobby. But most importantly, I have a friend, and during
his free time, he travels to beautiful scenery and take great photos for travel agencies, and in turn,
they sponsor a portion of his expense. This is a perfect example of how an interest could turn
into benefits. I wish one day I could be as skillful as he is.
What is your favorite family photo?
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It would be the photo we took when my baby brother was born. I remember my dad and I waited
nervously outside of the delivery ward(产房/区）， it was the first all-nighter that I pulled. The
entire labour took about 9 hours, because my mother was slightly over-aged. We took our first
family photo together by my mother’s hospital bed.
Art
Do you like drawing?
Definitely, l like to make sketches whenever I’m at my desk doing nothing. Sometimes I enjoy
drawing the silhouette of things from books, like Hogwarts from Harry Potter or the Dragons in
Game of Thrones. I do not have the skill to finish these drawings though, I may take some
drawing classes in the future.
Do you like to go to the gallery?

Not really, because I don’t appreciate arts that well, I often have little clue to what the artists are
trying to tell. I much prefer science museums where I get to try or see some state of the art (先
进，如同艺术品一般）technology in display.
Do you want to learn more about art?

I’m afraid not, I think art is a luxurious subject, it’s best that I know little of it. I don’t want to
one day blow my savings on extravagant pieces that I might love. Yes, I’m a bit shallow and I
intend to stay this way.
Did you learn drawing when you were a kid?

Well, you know. Chinese parents never stop feeding us extra classes to occupy our childhood. So
yes, they’ve sent me to all sorts of extracurricular institutions to learn calligraphy or painting
when I couldn’t even read. I hardly remember much because I later had other classes, like piano.
Memory
Why do some people have good memory while others just don’t?
Well, God made us different. Some of us have beautiful teeth and some of us need
orthodontics(牙齿矫正）. Some of us are taller and skillful in basketball while some of us are
short and play basketball on computers. And the brain is a complicated science, I think only God
has the answer.
Why do more people rely on cellphones to memorize things?

Because it’s easy to forget things, most crucially, we cannot foresee the future, which means we
can’t anticipate if or when we are going to forget the important events. Besides, smartphones
have the alarm or texting notices to alert us when we approach significant date or schedule.
Are you good at memorizing things?

Not necessarily, as I grow older, I feel that my memory is reaching a capacity, which means that
I’m absorbing knowledge slower than before. Actually, I’m spending more and more time
preparing for examinations.
Have you ever forgotten something that was important?

Oh, many times. And some aftermaths were severe. A few years ago, I had forgotten my parent’s
birthday, I can’t tell you what happened to me, but it’s safe to say that I will never make that
mistake again.
5
Car
Did you enjoy traveling by car when you were a kid?
Absolutely not, I have a horrible car sickness. It only goes away when I sit in the passenger’s
seat. But I could only sit in the back when I was little, you have no idea how many times I
vomited.
What types of cars do you like?

I’m not into cars, I think they are all the same to me. This is mainly due to the fact that I have a
severe car sickness, I normally take the public transits and don’t pay much attention to
automobiles.
Do you prefer to be a driver or a passenger?

I would definitely prefer to drive myself, because car sickness is a motion sickness. When I’m
driving, I could stare at the road and anticipate any bumps or shakes in advance. So I think
concentration helps as well. Anyway, I don’t feel so dizzy when I’m driving.
What do you usually do when there is a traffic jam?

It depends, if it’s fully congested, I would get out for some fresh air. I’m a patient person, I know
many drivers get road rage, but not me, It’s easy for me to stay calm and figure out how to adjust
my delayed plans.
Dreams
Do you often remember your dreams?
Well, I usually forget about dreams when I wake up, but then sometimes, they come back to me
as flashbacks , and even so, these flashbacks aren’t as vivid as an actual dream. In fact, I think I
dreamed about IELTS exams many times, but I don’t remember what the questions are any more.
Do you share your dreams with others?

Well, sure, it’s a great way to start a conversation, I think. I tell friends about my dreams and
they are hooked to know more, I think most people tend to fascinate themselves with the
unknown.
Do you think dreams have special meanings?

No, I grew up in an atheist （无神论） country, although the oldest generations are more
superstitious, I think science is the answer to everything. I also don’t believe in Zodiac signs or
lucky numbers.
Do you want to make your dreams come true?

Well, daydreams, definitely! But it’s a hard no on actual dreams. Although I don’t recall my
dreams vividly, I’m certain that I had some of the worst nightmares.
Mobile phones
What was your fist mobile phone?
When I was in primary school, my dad gave me a Nokia for emergency purposes. It only had a
game called “Snake”, and I used to play it in the back of the classroom until it was soon
confiscated.
Do you often use your mobile phone for texting or calls?

Nowadays, nobody does. We all use apps like WeChat or QQ, they basically cost nothing with
superior functions like Emojis（表情） or Memes（表情包）. Phone calls or texts are costly
compared to data plan, you know.
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Will you buy a new one in the future?

Of course, because technology advances too fast, we see new version phones each year with new
functions. It’s unlikely that a smart phone can last more than 4 years. I’m using an OnePlus 7
from 2019, I might get the new OnePlus 10 soon.
How has your mobile phone changed your life?

Ah Geez, I don’t think it changed my life at all. You see, It IS my life. I mean, I study with it, I
work with it, I shop on it, I play gaming apps, and I even sleep with it. I suppose I wouldn’t have
a life without it.
Emails
Do you often send emails?
Only recently. I have been applying for some universities abroad and we contact through Emails.
I normally just use instant chatting applications like WeChat or QQ, they are much more
convenient and user-friendly.
When would you send emails to others?

I suppose for more serious matters, like this IETLS exam with British Council or when I reached
out to oversea universities, I’m pretty sure we can’t have casual chats like on Facebook or
Twitter, that’s Trump’s privilege.
Is sending emails popular in China?

Not for young people, we just use social apps on our smartphones. However, I do hear some
multinational companies communicate through emails. Which is fancy, I think.
Do you think sending emails will be more or less popular in the future?
Definitely less popular. I think it has no edge on modern applications. Smartphones are much
better at dealing with productive work-tasks like writing, editing documents and creating
presentations.
Daily routine
What is your daily study routine?
Well, I think studying in the morning is more productive, so I pack my mornings heavily with
tons of materials that need reciting. Then in the afternoon, I would take a nap and find some
recreational activities with friends. I resume studying in the evenings. I might begin in the
afternoon when I have work due for the next day, .
Have you ever changed your routine?

Oh it’s a usual thing, coz I have a tremendous amount of workload in school. I rarely have any
vacant time to spare, so I often have to rearrange my plans accordingly.
Do you think it is important to have a daily routine for your study?

Yes, absolutely, it’s like running on a treadmill with a predetermined goal including the time. I
am much more concentrated and focused since I know the amount of time is necessary. In
contrast, when I try to study outside of a routine schedule, my thoughts drift to the moon.
What part of your day do you like best?

I find afternoons pleasant. It’s usually sunny and cozy. And I love to hang out with my friends
after a nice nap to walk through stores or parks. Sometimes I do some sports as well just before
the sunset.
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Time management
How do you plan your time in a day?
Well, I’m quite organized, especially with the help of some apps on my phone, I can make a
timeline a few weeks in advance. All I need to do is note down the important events ahead of
time and my phone alarms me with notices, well, three notices actually, 24 hours, 8 hours, then 1
hour before the event.
Is it easy to manage time for you?

(as I’ve mentioned before), I can easily make schedules with a cellphone app which is extremely
easy to maneuver. It can even be controlled by voice command. Fun fact, the app’s name is
called “secretary” in Chinese.
When do you find it hard to allocate time?

Exam week or month, it’s when I squeeze as much time as possible to study. Any additional
events like family reunion dinners or friend’s birthday parties would give me a hard time at
choosing.
Do you like being busy?

It’s hard to say, on the one hand, it’s tiresome. But then again, often upon task completions, I
feel a rush of accomplishment, which is worth memorizing. I suppose, I could have it both ways.
Cinemas
Did you usually go to the cinema when you were a kid?
Of course, it was one of my favourite places. I love movies. I remember each time a Pixel
animation goes on the screen, I would beg my parents to take me. There was Toy Story（玩具总
动员） , Zootopia( 疯狂动物城） and my favorite, Despicable Me( 神偷奶爸 ) ， because
Minions（小黄人） are so cute.
Do you usually go to the cinema with your friends?

Yes, as I grew older, going to movies with parents is not so cool. Especially when they still think
I’m too young to watch people kiss. And of course going alone is pathetically weird as well, so I
normally go with friends.
Do you still enjoy watching the movies you loved as a child?

Yes, there’s no shame in liking animations. Although some people, like my parents, still criticize
me on how invested I am in Cartoons. But I tend to re-live those magical moments, like the birth
of Lion King.
Do you prefer watching movies at home or at the cinema?

Definitely the cinema, because of the pandemic, I haven’t been to the cinema in the past 2 years.
I miss the acoustic effect and IMAX 3D. Well, actually, the cinemas have opened for a while
now, but there hasn’t been many great productions worth going for. We missed the latest
Spiderman Movie and I don’t know when is the next Marvel movie coming to China,
TV program
What kinds of TV programs do you often watch?
I have a diversified taste in TV programs. I enjoy most of the top viewed, like Breaking Bad,
House of Cards, Sherlock, etc. But I suppose my favourite is Suits, because I’m studying to
become a lawyer, and its a show about corporate lawyers kicking ass.
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Do you think kids are watching too much television?

Not really, they are rather concentrated on games now. I have a cousin who’s in primary school.
He doesn’t like to watch TV at all, all he does is play video games on his parents’ phones. TV
would be considered a crucial punishment for him.
What are the impacts of watching TV programs on children?

Well, I suppose it’s quite harmful. I think young children have yet developed the ability to
distinguish right from wrong. They may imitate misdemeanors with catastrophic consequence.
The best scenario is that they perhaps learn some knowledge from educational programs. So the
bottom line is that TV hours and contents must be supervised.
What kinds of TV programs do you think should be broadcast more?

The ones with positive vibe. For example, many shows about doctors and nurses in hospitals are
great. They show that life can be fragile and we need to take care of our body. Also, it teaches
some basic medical science to the general public, raising people’s health awareness.
Lost and found

What will you do if you find something lost by others?
I normally leave it by, because the owner could come back looking for it. If it’s something pricey,
I might wait for a bit, but my patience depends on my schedule, when I’m free, I can take out a
book and read, and when I’m busy, I would just wish the person good luck.
Do you report to the police when finding something lost by others? Why?
Not really, when a person loses small objects like a book or a pen, he would not think of looking
for it at a police station nor do the police have the resource to help. But if it’s IDs like passport, I
suppose police have ways to find the owner. Of course, when it comes to expensive items, like
jewelry, calling the police is no sweat.
Have you ever lost things?

Not really, as a student, I carry with me 2 things, my bag and my cellphone. I don’t see how
careless I have to be to lose things. Thanks to the advancement of technology, not only that
smartphones have gotten rid of things like money and cards, they are also complicatedly locked
for people to steal and reuse.
Will you post on social media if you lose your item?

I suppose yes, friends would comfort me. Like the time I failed a math exam, I posted it on my
WeChat space, many friends encouraged me, I felt much better after.
Websites
What kind of websites do you often visit?
Well, I normally access the Internet with the apps in my phone, like social medias and a bunch of
Q-and-A(question and answer）forums. The only times I need to click open a browser are to use
the search engines, like Google or Baidu.
What is your favorite website?

I suppose Google, I think it’s the greatest invention. It directs me to wherever I wish to go based
on the keywords in any language. Millions of pages would pop up in the order of relevance and
visit rates. Simple and efficient.
Are there any changes about the websites you often visit?
Well, the letters of Google change frequently, each time there’s a new theme. I remember on the
day of a Harry Potter’s movie, the two ‘o’s in Google were changed into a pair of glasses and the
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“G” looked like a lightning shape. Oh, the “L” was a wand I believe.
What kinds of websites are popular in your country?

Apart from search engines,I believe many people prefer to browse news on the computer,
because of the larger screen compared to smartphones, so some social medias as well.
Sports
Do you like watching sport programs on TV?
As a matter of fact I do, I used to watch NBA with my brother, he’s much older than I am, we
scarcely share common interests, and basketball is something we both like. We both like the
team “Lakers”, it was nice cheering together when we watched their games. But then he went to
university and started working in another city, it became less fun.
Do you like to watch live sports games?

Not really. I have watched NBA preseason in Shanghai a few years ago, it wasn’t that great. First
of all, the ticket costed an arm. Then it wasn’t the same as on TV, players looked slower in
reality, their skills looked more mediocre. I wasn’t feeling the vibe although the atmosphere was
heightened. I would much rather go to live concerts instead, where the acoustic quality is
somehow better.
Who do you like to watch sports games with?

I used to watch NBA with my brother, he’s much older than I am, we scarcely share common
interests, and basketball is something we both like. We both like the team “Lakers”, it was nice
cheering together when we watched their games. But then he went to university and started
working in another city, it became less fun. Sometimes we still chat about sports online, but we
have our own circles of friend.
What kinds of games do you expect to watch in the future?

I’ve always been a sports fan, in fact, apart from the NBA, I also watch many big events in other
sports, like Tennis tournaments, Football’s Champion League..., and I plan to continue to do so.
Street market
What do people usually buy on the street market?
I suppose some counterfeit or replicating products. Because street markets normally lack the
credibility of selling authentic items, many would assume most of their sales, especially clothing
accessories are knockoffs. And I suppose it’s to meet some people’s vanity. I,However, am
more down to earth, comfortable with my 100 yuan domestic trainers and brand-less jeans.
Do you prefer to go shopping in the shopping mall or on the street market?

Definitely the shopping mall, where merchandise are price-tagged. I don’t know how to drive a
bargain and street markets are always overpriced with low quality items. Besides, mall shops
usually have better services.
When was the last time you went to a street market?

Quite a few years ago, China has improved its market supervision, counterfeit products are
punished severely nowadays and also street markets are not great for a city’s image. So we rarely
see them, they are usually clustered in certain small regions in each city where I never visit.
Are there many street markets in China?

There used to be, but not any more, it’s more efficient for the vendors to set up shops on the
internet, like with TaoBao or PinDuoDuo apps. These two apps are infamous for their counterfeit
sales and terrible service which are the same issues we had with street markets.
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Part 2
你喜欢待在一起的人
Describe someone you really like to spend time with
You should say
Who this person is
How you knew him/her
What you usually do together
And explain why you like to spend time with him/her
My favourite person to spend time with would have to be my best friend, whose name is Paul.
We met through a mutual acquaintance at a football game, and ever since then we spend every
weekend watching football games together. Sometimes, we even play a bit of it ourselves! I
would describe him as having a very jovial personality, although he does sometimes have the
tendency to be quite standoffish and stubborn if he feels like someone is disrespecting him. I
remember one particular incident with fondness - we were in a cafe one time and someone
pushed past him in the queue. Consequently, he pushed back in line and almost got us kicked out!
I thought that the other person was going to throw coffee all over us. However, I see this as a
good memory, since it shows what a strong-minded individual Paul is. I wouldn’t change him for
the world. In fact, next week we are planning to go on a holiday together with some other friends
of ours. We wanted to go to Spain initially, but due to the recent epidemic situation, we had to
settle for somewhere closer to home.
Part 3
What kinds of people are easy to get along with?
I think the answer to this question would depend on your personality. A lot of people would say
that outgoing people are easy to get along with, but I feel like I personally connect more easily
with quieter people. I feel like sometimes outgoing people can be a little bit too overbearing and
it can make me a bit uncomfortable. On the other hand, quiet people are usually more easygoing
and relaxed, and this creates an easier social environment for me. Generally speaking though,
kindness is probably the most desirable quality in a person if you want to get along with them. I
was raised to believe that kindness will always get you far, in every sort of situation.
How do leaders get along with their subordinates?
Leaders and their subordinates can interact in a variety of different ways, and I personally
believe that no two situations are the same. In an ideal situation, a subordinate - let’s say an
employee of a company - should look to their leader, or boss, as a role model and a figure to
aspire to. Of course, this is not always the case though, and I can personally recount numerous
instances of subordinates being dissatisfied with the leadership of their direct superiors. One
famous example right now is Manchester United, the football team. Their captain has come
under a lot of criticism recently for crumbling under pressure - this is perhaps the worst trait in a
leader since their followers will, of course, follow suit. If one isn’t prepared for pressure, then
they have no business being a leader.
Do people have time for themselves nowadays?
I certainly think that people should try to make more time for themselves, whatever the case. I’m
not sure if the situation nowadays is dramatically different from the past, but it certainly seems
like there’s a lot of societal pressure on people today. Not only the obvious career requirements,
but also familial responsibilities and even down to small things such as household chores. So it
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leads to another question, which is how can we make more time for ourselves? I think this is a
very difficult problem with no easy solution. But what I do know is that people who have more
free time are generally far healthier, both physically and mentally.
Do you like talking with older people? Why?
Talking with older people is no different to talking with any other age group, in my opinion.
Sure, they may have different interests and hobbies, and some of their attitudes can be a little
outdated but, ultimately, people are people. I don’t really have a strong preference in terms of the
people I talk to, but I value maturity a lot, and therefore I suppose I like talking to older people a
little bit more. I do think that older people sometimes are more polite and respectful than
younger people, but this generalisation does not apply to everybody. One thing I really
appreciate about people older than me is their experience; they sometimes have some very
interesting stories to tell of the past.
你在社交媒体上关注的人
Describe a person who you follow on social media
You should say
Who he/she is
What she/he posts on social media
And explain why you follow him/her on social media
I don’t typically like to use social media too much, since I feel that it has a corrupting influence
upon my work schedule. However, when I do venture to look at my social media feeds, I prefer
to follow factual accounts relating to fields as diverse as medicine and history. One example of a
person I would follow would be the famous historian Mary Beard, who I first discovered when I
studied her work at university. She doesn’t often post, but when she does it will usually be about
something aligned with my interests such as a new TV show she is featured in or an interesting
new archaeological discovery. I believe this to be a far better use of my screen time than
following some mindless trend or obsessing over social media stars. Having said that, I do
sometimes follow some influencers who talk about the latest gossip; I try not to indulge in
celebrity gossip too much, but I’m not immune to its effects! I remember a recent incident
involving a famous couple who had a messy divorce. Although I wouldn’t typically care too
much, I eventually fell down a rabbit hole and couldn’t stop myself from watching short videos
about them. All in all, I try to avoid following these kinds of accounts and attempt to only follow
people posting topics relevant to me, but I’m not always successful.
Part 3
What can people do on social media?
People can engage in a variety of activities on social media. Of course, the primary role of social
media is to facilitate communication between people across long distances. In addition to this, it
can allow people to post photos of themselves, or talk about experiences that they have had.
Increasingly, people’s thoughts and opinions are being shaped by social media - the line between
social media and reality is becoming more and more blurred. Another function of social media is
to follow the whereabouts and doings of celebrities, such as music idols and other prominent
public figures.
Do you think older people and younger people will use the same kind of social media software?
Whenever older people use social media, it tends to be the same kinds of app. For example, in
China, pretty much everybody has to use WeChat in daily life for all sorts of different functions.
WeChat has moved on from simply being an easy method of communication, and is now
12
necessary for things such as financial transactions. However, I would argue that younger people
tend to use more kinds of social media - they may also have WeChat accounts, but perhaps
they’ll also use Douyin and QQ, which older people tend to avoid on the whole. I think we are
moving towards a future where older people and younger people are largely going to use the
same kind of apps.
Do older people spend much time on social media?
It’s increasingly the case that older people are becoming active on social media - in some cases,
they can even form an unhealthy relationship with these kinds of apps. For example, I have an
uncle who’s around 70 years old, and he inspects his social media feed non-stop. His children
feel like they can’t even post without his eyes upon them. It is becoming more and more difficult
to live in contemporary society without being on some form of social media. This has led to
some drawbacks for the elderly; for example, they are more liable to misinformation and scams
online, since they are being confronted with a new kind of technology.
Are non-social media like television and newspaper still useful?
Television can still be useful, but most people I know only use it to watch movies or highlights
of particular shows now. Some people even use a television monitor just to host internet videos
they are watching. It would appear that the days of television being the primary conveyor of
news and information are over, though - social media has certainly filled that niche. As for
newspapers, it’s a sad situation. I personally love to buy and read newspapers, but it seems like
most people in my generation do not care for them at all. You barely ever see a young person
with a newspaper nowadays, at least, not where I live.
对社会有贡献的人
Describe a person who contributes to the society
You should say
Who this person is
How you knew her/him
What type of work she/he does
An explain why you think her/his work is useful to the society
When we talk about people who contribute to society, we could be talking about many different
types of contribution. Nurses and doctors sacrifice a lot in order to be able to contribute to the
well-being of society; factory workers contribute to society by creating everything we need.
However, we could also say that stars and prominent figures contribute to society by dictating
popular culture. If we are talking about individuals, one person who contributes a lot to society
would be Zhong Nanshan, the former president of the Chinese Medical Association. I first heard
about him at the beginning of the coronavirus situation. He’s a very diligent and caring
individual who had multiple opportunities to retire but deigned to keep working for the
betterment of society, even through the deadliest pandemic that humanity has known in over a
century. More so than any other individual, I believe that he has changed the way that we live
and think. Due to his influence, we have made a lot of progress as a species in research about,
not only this coronavirus, but many different kinds of viruses. He also has changed people’s
perspectives on disease in general, and helped to spread awareness of measures we can take in
order to combat it. If I can be even a fraction as selfless and brave as he is, I will be a very happy
guy.
Part 3
What jobs are well-paid?
There are lots of different kinds of well-paid jobs, although they are all well-paid to varying
13
degrees. Of course, relative to some people, a job such as a doctor or a dentist is well-paid.
However, the salary they receive may pale in comparison to some high-ranking businessmen or
prominent individuals in the media. However, even these kind of vocations earn only a fraction
compared to the top 1% of earners in the world. It really is all a matter of perspective, to be
perfectly honest. There are very few people in the world who believe that the money they earn is
enough; almost everyone I know strives to earn more money, even if you or I would think that
they are already quite well-paid.
What are the changes in working conditions?
If we are talking about generational differences, then it’s plain to see that workers of the present
day have far better health and safety regulations - a company knows that, if a worker is put in
danger, then they will receive bad publicity. However, since these safety regulations are often
more costly, workers sometimes have to be stretched thin and work even more hours to make up
for the profitability. Other differences we can see are huge technological conveniences, such as
working laptops and sometimes even company cars for higher ups in companies to use. This
means that traveling about and working are no longer mutually exclusive; people can work at
essentially any time, and sometimes are even pressured into doing so.
What are the impacts of the epidemic on the work environment?
The epidemic in China hasn’t led to many large-scale changes in the work environment, other
than perhaps wearing a mask and keeping social distancing. However, if we talking about the
pandemic as a whole, or the epidemic in other countries, we can see a stark difference. The
effects are far more pronounced. For example, in some countries, people now conduct meetings
over video calls and have to work from home to avoid being susceptible to infection. However, if
you are deemed to be an “essential worker”, then you would still have to go outside and work in
pretty much the same conditions as before. It’s unclear what the long-term impacts on the
workplace will be, but for the time being, it looks like not a great deal has changed in China, at
least.
Do you think younger people should be lower-paid than older people?
The idea that people should be earning different amounts based on their age is, quite frankly,
ridiculous. As long as a person is adept at their job and performs their task to the fullest, they
should paid the same amount. One could argue that more experience means a better fit for
certain jobs, but this is certainly not always the case. The only valid argument I could see for
paying older people more than younger people is that they may have more familial
responsibilities; but ultimately, workplaces should be meritocratic. The amount you earn should
be based on your performance. Anything less than that will be unfair, I think.
只见过一次但想了解更多的人
Describe a person you only met once and want to know more about
You should say
Who he/she is
When you met him/her
Why you want to know more about him/her
And explain how you feel about him/her
I consider myself to be quite an introverted person, so meeting somebody once and then never
again is quite a common experience for me. I have an established set of friends and people close
to me, so I don’t usually feel the need to go out of my way to interact with new people. There
was one person though, who I regret not forming closer bonds with - and that would be a fellow
student of mine at university. We met in the same class, but then he dropped out to move to
14
another university soon afterwards. We had a lot of hobbies in common, and a similar sense of
humour which is very rare to find in my experience. I feel we could have formed a friendship if
we had been able to share more classes and spend more time together; alas, it was not to be! We
never exchanged contact numbers or social media profiles, so I have no clue what he is up to
these days. Generally speaking though, I’m not the sort of person who dwells on situations like
this a lot. I had to think very hard about this question actually, since I tend to be more curious
about people I already know than people I don’t. Perhaps some people would believe this to be a
bit of a strange attitude, but I’ve always been like this.
Part 3
How do people make friends in China?
There are lots of different ways that people can form friendships in China. Generally speaking, I
don’t think that it’s too dissimilar to the rest of the world - just like in other countries, many
people form friendships whilst they are studying at school or college. After that, it’s mostly a
case of developing friendships with people through hobbies or maybe even at work. Of course,
for every person, this kind of situation is different. Some people are more prone to forming
friendships than others, and some people find it easier to communicate with potential friends. I
do think that one problem nowadays is that a lot of people don’t have the time to form
friendships - people may work so hard that they have no time to relax with like-minded peoples.
On what occasions do people like to make friends?
People can make friends in a multitude of different situations and on various different occasions,
although I think it is actually quite difficult to form true friendships in a formal situation such as
in a workplace. Pointing out specific occasions where people can make friends is difficult, since
friendships do not develop over the space of one day. In my experience, the process of becoming
friends takes quite a while and has to occur after a series of meet-ups. If we are talking about
occasions where you could potentially meet new friends however, I think it is best to do so in a
casual, friendly environment where you have plenty of time to communicate with people. An
example where I have done this would be in my weekly football practice, where I have met
many of my closest friends.
Is it important to have the same hobbies and interests when making friends?
I don’t think that friends have to necessarily share identical hobbies and interests, but I feel like
it’s easier to connect with people when they are into the same things as you. Perhaps it’s one
way for people to meet, but deeper friendships should take other things into consideration; such
as a similar outlook on life, or an emotional understanding of each other. However, I believe that
most of my friends have similar hobbies to me, and this makes sure that we always have
something to talk about when we meet up with each other. In summary, hobbies and interests can
be important, but aren’t necessarily essential for a good friendship.
What qualities make true friends?
When I discuss what qualities make a true friend, I can only really take my personal attitudes and
experiences into account. Ultimately, the answer to this question will be different depending on
who you ask. The things I prioritise when looking for a friend - such as kindness and empathy -
may not necessarily be as important to other people. That being said, if you are to be a true
friend to somebody, you need to be able to be truthful and honest, whilst still considering their
needs and feelings when talking to them. Ultimately, a good friend should be willing to help
whenever somebody needs advice or even if they just need somebody to listen to their thoughts.
想住的房子或公寓
15
Describe a house or an apartment you would like to live in

You should say
What it is like
Were it would be
Why you would like to live in this house/apartment
And how you feel about this house/apartment
I remember watching a TV show with my parents once - or maybe it was a movie, thinking
about it - and it was set in Paris. Immediately, I fell in love with the Parisian style of apartments -
cozy, stylish and bohemian. Increasingly though, as I grow older, I’m becoming more
enamoured with the idea of living in a countryside cottage. I think this stems from nostalgia,
since I used to live in a cottage when I was a child. In my imagination, there would be plenty of
animals roaming around and the atmosphere would be very relaxed. I don’t mind living in the
city, but I do miss the peace and quiet that comes with being in the countryside. Also, houses in
the countryside typically allow for more space, which is more convenient for raising a family
and having pets - both things I want to do in the near future. Currently, my living situation is a
little bit too cramped and noisy for my liking. Because I live on campus nearby a basketball
court, I am woken every day by the sounds of people bouncing their balls on the bitumen surface.
It’s incredibly annoying! I think that I would be far more comfortable in a spacious, sparse
environment. It doesn’t really matter what country or region it is in - as long as there’s lot of
space and beautiful scenery.
Part 3
What kinds of apartments are the most popular?
This is a rather difficult question, since I think that it depends on context. I think in China, and
especially in Chinese cities, many families are settled into apartments for the long term and
prioritise things such as space and general livability. However, for many people in places such as
Europe, apartments are usually considered temporary accommodation and therefore qualities
such as location and price are more of a concern. The most popular kind of apartments where I
currently live are usually the ones relatively close to public transport, where it is easy to access
the center of the city. Certainly this is something that I look for when thinking about apartments.
What are the differences between houses that young people and old people like?
I don’t suppose there would be a huge difference between the kinds of houses that young and old
people like really, although maybe old people in China prefer to be closer to their families.
Maybe the biggest difference would be in terms of location - young people, especially young
people who have begun their careers, will need to think about the convenience of travel and how
to manage their budgets. Therefore, they probably won’t be as concerned with the quality of the
housing. But if you are old, and are coming towards the end of your career, you will probably
want to think more about how to comfortably spend the rest of your life. In any case, this
question is dependent on the personalities of individuals.
What are the differences between apartments and houses?
The obvious difference between apartments and houses is that an apartment is usually in a
building shared with many other people, whereas houses typically aren’t. Apartments also
usually consist of only one level, although I have seen some particularly fancy apartments with
multiple floors. Even then, there’s a difference between types of housing. You can have a
detached house, or a semi-detached house. A detached house is a building you get all to yourself,
whereas a semi-detached house will share one wall with another accommodation on the other
side. I have personally lived in all kinds of houses - my family house was a detached house, then
at university I rented a semi-detached house with my friends and now I live in an apartment due
to its convenience for my work.
16
Do people usually rent or buy a house? Why?
Most people aspire to eventually be able to buy a house, but the reality is that more and more
young people do not have the means to do so. So, in the meantime, they will rent houses and
apartments. This is especially a problem in the UK, where I come from - the average salary for
young people hasn’t changed over the past thirty years, but house prices and the cost of living
has increased exponentially. Therefore, we are seeing very few young people being able to buy
houses. In many ways, renting a house can be a cheaper and safer option than buying one, and
can save you from being heaped with mountains of debt in the future! But it would certainly be
nice if more people had the option of renting or buying, rather than being priced out of
purchasing houses.
去过的新地方
Describe a time you visited a new place
You should say
Where the new place is
When you went there
Why you went there
And explain how you feel about the place
Travelling is one of my major hobbies, so I like to visit new places as often as possible. If I am
narrowing it down to one experience, I would like to talk about the time I went to Sri Lanka,
which is a country in South Asia, just off of the southern tip of India. Prior to this, my experience
of travelling in Asia was rather limited - I had mostly spent my time going around Europe.
However, I had the opportunity to go when my friend invited me along - she had somehow
managed to acquire cheap plane tickets, so I couldn’t say no. Unfortunately, our timing was
inconvenient. We left in January 2020, just as soon as the coronavirus situation had become a big
problem. At the time though, we didn’t focus too heavily on it since we were busy enjoying the
lush hills and delicious food on offer in Sri Lanka. We ventured across the whole southern half
of the country, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We witnessed historical attractions, opened
ourselves to a new cuisine and saw a wide variety of wildlife. In total, I think that we must have
travelled to 7 or 8 different cities and towns in the space of three weeks. Initially we were only
supposed to go for 2 weeks but we decided to stay for a week longer since our work had been
delayed due to the virus. We were very lucky to be able to go abroad before everything shut
down.
Part 3
Which do you prefer, living in a city or only visiting it as a tourist?
I enjoy travelling to different places and visiting cities with a lot of history, but this does not
necessarily mean that it would be a convenient place to live in. For example, whilst I might
really enjoy walking around Vienna and seeing the beautiful sights there, I know that it would
not be a convenient place for me to live, due to a myriad of issues - cost of living, language
barriers, employment opportunities and so on. Every time I visit a city that I fall in love with, I
am tempted to pack my bags and move there but, ultimately, it’s mostly an unrealistic pipe
dream. Largely I prefer to visit places as a tourist, as opposed to potential places to live.
How do young children react when they go to school for the first time?
I do not have any children myself, so I had to dig through my memories to remember what my
reaction was when I first went to school! From what I remember, I was largely scared to leave
my parents behind - up until that point, I had been surrounded by my family pretty much all of
the time. So, to leave the comfort of my family and go to a strange place with lots of new people
is quite terrifying. I think that many kids feel the same way. I can compare it a little to when I
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first went to college, even though I was of course much older. I felt very nervous and anxious
about the whole situation, so I can imagine it is even worse when you are a young child and
going somewhere new by yourself for the first time.
How do young and old people react differently to new things?
It would largely depend on what the new thing in question is. If it’s a new object, such as some
new kind of phone or technological device, then you would expect young people to react with
more curiosity towards it - although this is, of course, not always necessarily the case. It is a
stereotype, perhaps, but usually old people are more settled and conservative than younger
people and are less welcoming towards change. However, for a situation such as moving away to
a new house, children and young people may find it difficult to adapt. This is especially true if
they’ve never moved before.
Why do some people want to go to college far away from home?
There could be numerous reasons why somebody would want to go far from home. Maybe they
have a poor relationship with their family, or maybe they just feel like they can be afforded more
opportunities in a different place. It all depends on the context, really. Personally, I went to
college far from my home since I wanted to embark upon a new adventure and go somewhere
completely different to anywhere I had ever experienced before. Another important reason is that
some colleges will specialise in specific courses that are tailored towards certain individuals; if a
person from one city wants to study a niche subject can only be found elsewhere, then this is a
big incentive to move.
认为有趣的城市
Describe a city that you think is very interesting
You should say
Where it is
What it is famous for
How you knew this city
And explain why you think it is very interesting
Every city I have been to in the world has something interesting to offer, but I would like to
focus on my hometown of Cambridge for this answer. In addition to being my hometown, it’s
one of the most famous university cities in the world and has been a centre of education for
centuries. If one visits there, they can indulge in plenty of historical activities. However,
Cambridge also boasts a very vibrant culinary scene - many high quality restaurants and cafes
have emerged there in recent years. Due to its nature as an educational hub, Cambridge is also
very multicultural. Walking across the city centre, you are able to see Chinese, Indian, Arabic,
African shops and restaurants… this is in addition to the more local fare. Another advantage of
Cambridge is its proximity to major cities in the United Kingdom, chiefly London and
Birmingham. By train, you can reach both cities within a matter of a couple of hours. Of course I
am very bias towards my hometown, but I do sincerely believe it’s a wonderful city which has a
lot to offer people from all walks of life. If you are interested in travelling across England, then
Cambridge is a city that should go out of your way to see.
Part 3
What advantages can tourism bring to a city?
Many cities thrive off of tourism, one example being my hometown of Cambridge. A lot of the
economy comes from international travelers who wish to see its history and architecture. This
can lead to the creation of new jobs and a greater demand for work in the service sector.
Ultimately, tourism’s advantages are mostly financial. But an increase of tourism, and therefore
awareness, of a location can also lead to the protection of important places and items that may
18
have otherwise been endangered. Using Cambridge as an example, many 17th century buildings
that would have been renovated and irreparably changed have now been preserved in their
original state due to touristic interest.
Why do some young people like to live in cities?
Cities, in comparison to the countryside, offer a far more convenient and flexible way of living.
If you are a young person trying to earn money and live a fast-paced, exciting way of life then
there really isn’t any other option than living in a city. I do know some young people who don’t
have any particular ambitions to live in a city, and are generally content with living a suburban
or even rural lifestyle. But largely, most young people I know plan to live in cities for a long
time, and some even have ambitions to start families and settle in cities. Personally, I enjoy
living in a city for the time being, but I dream of eventually being able to return to the
countryside when I am a bit older.
Do most elderly people live in the city or in the countryside?
This is a question which can only really be answered if one has the appropriate demographic
statistics. So, with that in mind, I’m not entirely sure as to the answer. My suspicion is that more
elderly people in China live in the city, since China is largely becoming an urban society, but I
could very well be wrong. In the UK and other western countries, I feel like most old people
reside in rural areas where the pace of life is slower and they can enjoy their time in a more
natural environment. Certainly, all of the elderly people in my family have a preference for
living in the countryside.
Do you think well-developed tourism will have negative effects on local people?
Tourism comes with a plethora of advantages, but it’s inarguable that there can also be some bad
effects. On a cosmetic level, more people means more rubbish, and this damages the local
environment as a result. Many local people who come from touristic cities also resent an influx
of people who move in without truly understanding the local culture or way of life. They believe
that it slowly chips away at the soul of the place in question. We can also witness local shops and
facilities being pushed aside in favour of more tourist-friendly amenities - for example, a local
newspaper stand may be demolished to make way for a fancy new bistro.
去过的村庄某地
Describe a place in a village that you visited
You should say
Where it is
When you visited this place
What you did there
And how you feel about this place
Well, for most of life, I have lived in a village so there are so many different answers I could
give for this question. If we are talking about the most interesting places in all the villages I have
visited, I remember visiting my friend’s grandparents house over Spring Festival in China. Since
I come from such a different cultural background, it was fascinating for me to see how people
celebrated these kind of occasions in the countryside. For most of my time in China, I have
stayed within city limits - it was astonishing for me to see precisely how different life was for
people in the villages. When I was in this house, I was treated to a delicious banquet cooked by
my friend’s grandparents, which was then followed by multiple rounds of mahjong.
Unfortunately, I am not as good at mahjong as I am at eating! There was also plenty of time to
play around with firecrackers. At first I was a little bit nervous handling them since they are so
loud, but eventually I grew used to the noise. I have fond memories of the village, and of this
19
house in particular. It makes for one of the most distinct memories of my entire time living in
this country. If I was to go there in the future though, I think I should make more of an effort to
learn how to speak the local dialect since their accent was so strong that I found it difficult to
understand anything.
Part 3
Is there anything special about the villages in China?
I sincerely do believe that villages often contain more soul and personality than cities - usually,
everybody knows each other and there’s more of a communal vibe. I don’t think that this is any
different in China - I often feel more at peace in the countryside here, and I certainly feel as if
I’m closer to nature. In a Chinese village, you can experience an authenticity that is perhaps
lacking in some of the major cities. Also, people who reside in villages tend to be very curious
and welcoming towards outsiders, which is always pleasant if you decide to visit.
Why do people want to go to the countryside?
People may decide to visit the countryside for many different reasons, whether it be for tourism
or to visit relatives that they haven’t seen in a while. Certainly, I know that many Chinese people
who live in cities return to their countryside family homes during festivals in order to catch up
with their relatives. For me personally, I like to go to the countryside every now and then just to
escape the hustle and bustle of city life. I think it’s great for my peace of mind to occasionally
have the chance to be in a rural environment. But of course, many people don’t really harbour
any desire to go to the countryside, even for their vacation - this is something that I could never
understand.
What do people usually do when going to a village?
When going to a village, people might choose to engage in a variety of activities. Some people
prefer to just stay inside and enjoy some privacy. Other people, such as myself, enjoy getting a
breath of fresh air by hiking or exploring the local area. But since I think most people only go to
the countryside due to familial obligations, I would presume that their primary objective is to
meet up with their family and the discuss whatever they have been up to recently. I know many
people who dread returning to their homes in the countryside for this exact reason - they have
maybe been unsuccessful in their job or have yet to find a partner, and don’t want to have to
confront their family about this.
Do you think people will live in the village in the future?
In the short term, I can’t imagine the current trend of urbanisation being reversed. The logic
doesn’t really make sense - there are still far more opportunities and benefits when you live
within the city. Now that travel has grown easier, more and more people are flocking towards
urban areas. Perhaps we’ll see a different trend as a consequence of major disasters or
environmental catastrophe, but I personally think that the future is looking more urban than ever
before. Statistics show that urbanisation is a phenomenon that is not restricted to one area or
culture and, in fact, is present in essentially every country. It’s impossible to imagine anything
short of a massive event changing all of this.
想给朋友买的礼物
Describe a gift you would like to buy for your friend
You should say
What gift you would like to buy
Who you would like to give it to
Why you would like to buy a gift for him/her
20
And explain why you choose that gift
Usually me and my friends buy small gifts for each other around all of the major festivals, as
well as for each others birthdays. In the past, I have received presents as diverse as imported
sodas and fancy boxes of fruit. However, when it comes to buying gifts, I’m not very
imaginative. I tend to stick to the reliable options - chocolate, wine, flowers or perhaps
something from my culture. Ultimately though, the purpose of a gift shouldn’t be to show
someone how much money you’ve spent on it; it should be to show that you truly care about
them and have thought about something they would like. It is my friends birthday next week, and
I have bought her a few comfy pairs of socks for the winter. It may not be particularly
extravagant or expensive, but I hope she can appreciate the thoughtfulness behind it. Since the
weather is getting colder and colder these days, I think it’s important for people to keep wrapped
up when it’s rainy or windy. I would have bought her a knitted scarf, but then I remembered that
I got her one as a present for the New Year. At times, I have difficulty remembering the gifts that
I’ve already bought people.
Part 3
When do people normally send gifts to others?
People will usually give gifts around festivals or birthdays, or maybe if they haven’t seen a
particular person in a long time. Normally, I think people will only buy gifts on occasions that
they obliged to, such as the ones I just mentioned. It’s all dependent on the person in question - I
have some friends who will always buy me a small gift when they see me, and I also have
friends who never think of even buying me gifts on my birthday. If the person in question is a
child, maybe people will give them gifts more frequently though - this is certainly the case in my
family, where the youngest children will receive gifts almost every time that they have visitors.
Do people give gifts or red pockets on traditional festivals?
Typically, yes, I think people would give gifts to those they are close with on some festivals.
However, not every festival is important enough to warrant giving gifts, and not everyone will
opt to give gifts to people. Red packets, on the other hand, are an exclusively Chinese
phenomenon and foreigners tend not to give them out on festive occasions. Even then, from what
I can see, red packets tend mostly to be given on one particular festival - Spring Festival. I don’t
know if there are other circumstances in which you can give them out, but I’ve only really seen
people give them out around the New Year season.
Is it hard to choose a gift?
Choosing gifts is a big problem that I have; especially for people that I’ve known for a long
period of time. I always struggle to think of gifts that are especially relevant to them and that
they won’t already have. Otherwise, I will fall back on more traditional gifts such as chocolate or
wine. For people that are long-time friends or family, I often have a lack of imagination in terms
of buying gifts. It is something that actually stresses me out a little bit - I don’t mind spending
money to buy something for people, but I hate having to browse on a shopping app or spend
hours in stores looking. It’s a problem that seems to only get worse with every passing year.
Will people feel happy when receiving an expensive gift?
For sure, I think people will always appreciate pricey gifts. Even if they don’t particularly like
the contents of the gift, they might be able to appreciate the effort that’s gone into buying it. And
even then, they might be able to sell it if they don’t like it! However, some people feel a little bit
overwhelmed when they receive an expensive gift which I understand; there might be more
pressure for them to buy an equally expensive gift in the future. Another factor is the actual gift
itself; there are multiple different definitions of “expensive”. For some people, an expensive gift
might be a big box of chocolates, whereas for others it might be a brand new car or something.
21
童年时得到的玩具
Describe a toy you got in your childhood
You should say
What it was
When you got it
How you got it
And explain how you felt about it
As a child, I was a little bit spoiled so I often received toys and little presents from my family. I
remember that my favourite toy was an action figure of a robot. I received it as a present on my
8th birthday from my grandfather - he was the boss of a shipping company, so he often had
access to rare and interesting imported toys. Sometimes I would be able to receive them months
before they were due to be released. At first, I wasn’t too impressed with this toy since I wasn’t
familiar with the character and it didn’t have any special functions. However, I grew more and
more fond of it eventually, since I would create little stories in my head where it would defeat all
the evil monsters. So I would take this robot toy of mine, and use it to beat up other toys that I
had - such as my toy crocodile and a toy dinosaur. I can’t remember the last time I played with it,
but it was probably around the time that I discovered video games. Once I began playing video
games, I feel like I slowly abandoned the toys I had. Or perhaps it was just as a result of growing
out of them. It’s a shame, since I feel very nostalgic about those days now - maybe I should ask
my parents if they still have the toy somewhere around the house.
Part 3
Do boys and girls like the same kind of toys?
It used to be the case that toys and games would be heavily gendered - boys would be expected
to enjoy certain kinds of toys, and girls would have different ones; but I think we have been
witnessing a lot of change in the past ten or so years. I know of many new parents who insist on
raising their child to enjoy gender neutral toys. Personally, I think this is a positive change since
kids can enjoy whatever they like without having to feel like it’s not appropriate for them,
although older generations typically disagree with this point of view. Having said that, I do think
that many boys will still choose to play with more “action-packed” toys such as toy guns and
swords, whereas some girls may be more liable to play with dolls and toy houses.
Why do you think some parents buy lots of toys for their kids instead of spending more time
with them?
A lot of people, especially younger people, aren’t really prepared for the arduous task of
parenthood and once they have a child, they don’t really know how to appropriately raise it.
They believe in giving children whatever they want to stop them crying and moaning, which I
think is a completely backwards way to raise them. Of course we should be kind and generous to
children, but they also need a certain degree of discipline so that they will treat others in society
in a polite manner. All in all, parents who do nothing for their children other than buy gifts are
doing it due to a combination of laziness and lack of knowledge about how to raise a kid.
What are some of the differences between the toys kids play with nowadays and those they used
to play with in the past?
Many kids nowadays prefer to play on their parents mobile phones or with video games than
play with actual toys. I believe this is a significant shift from my childhood, where all we had to
play with were plastic and wooden toys. I think this has led to children having a shorter attention
span, and this is more noticeable with the kinds of games that are marketed towards them. Not
only can we see this with toys and games, it also applies to kids television among other things.
I’m not too optimistic about this trend, and I hope that we can see it reversed sometime in the
future.
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Are there any kinds of electronic games or computer games that can have educational benefits
for young children?
Absolutely it is the case that some games can be educational, or at least used for educational
purposes. One example I can think of is Minecraft, where someone can effectively build
whatever they want; it can be used to teach subjects as diverse as physics and maths. However, I
do think many children are somewhat repulsed by these kinds of games, and prefer to play
games that remind them less of school and learning. After all, they spend many hours a week
studying - most of them just want to play video games in order to wind down a little bit. I can’t
really blame them.
What do parents usually buy for their children to make them happy?
Parents spend almost all of their money to make children happy! From my personal experience,
almost everything they do is ultimately in some way to help their kids. To this end, they might
buy their children toys, video games, outdoor experiences among other things. When the
children grow older, the parents might help them out with paying rent or university tuition. Even
things that don’t seem to make children happy, such as private classes and educational
experiences, are ultimately done in order to make them happy at some point in the future. I may
not have wanted to go to my swimming practice every weekend as a child, but nowadays I am
happy for the opportunities that doing so afforded me.
免费得到的东西
Describe something you received for free
You should say
What it was
Who you received it from
Where you received it
And how you felt about it
I don’t usually receive many things for free in my daily life, so I’ve had to wrack my brains to
think of a relevant answer to this question. Then I suddenly remembered - yesterday I went to a
cafe to do some studying, and the barista gave me a free coffee! I’m not entirely sure as to the
reason why she did this - I think it was simply because she could tell that I am somebody who
enjoys coffee a lot, and she wanted to express her passion for making it. I’m not exactly a coffee
connoisseur, but I do have quite a good palette for it. I was, of course, elated when I received the
coffee, since it was brewed really well. I think you wouldn’t be able to get this kind of customer
service at a big chain store such as Starbucks or Luckin Coffee. It’s something you can only
really experience at an independent coffee store. Perhaps next time I go to that cafe, I’ll buy a
small gift or even just buy two cups of coffee. Whenever people give me things for free,
especially in small shops, I tend to feel a bit guilty since I want to contribute something.
Part 3
Do you think people should pay for higher education? Why?
Definitely not. I think the idea of paying for something that was free for so many people, for
such a long time is ridiculous. I understand that not everyone can have the opportunity to go to a
place of higher education, or the degrees will become worthless. However, people who may have
the ability to study shouldn’t have to be priced out of their full potential. Not only is this bad for
society’s productivity in the long run, but I believe it to be morally wrong. University places
should be allocated based on grades, not whoever has the richest family; if money becomes the
main factor for admission to a prestigious university, then it will result in millions of people who
will have no chance of upwards mobility.
23
Is it good or bad for people to have free education in the future?
It’s certainly a good thing. I had to pay for university tuition during my studies, and I am still
burdened with the debt of paying it back after all these years. But I am not a special situation - a
vast majority of students where I come from have been saddled with debt. It’s a strange situation
where so many people owe money for university, but have no means to pay it back. I would hope
that no students in the future would have to experience this; education is a human right, in my
opinion, and it seems very callous to charge for it. Society demands a lot from young people - for
many, they need to go to university or they will be seen as a failure. To me, it’s unfair that they
would then have to pay extortionate amounts of money.
What free gifts do companies usually give to their customers?
In my experience, companies are usually quite frugal and prioritise saving money over giving
gifts to people. However, when they do, it’ll usually be something small like a mouse pad or a
cheap pen with the logo on it. I remember I once signed up for membership at a chain coffee
store; as an incentive, they would give you a free cake with the first drink you bought from them.
I think this is an example of a nicer gift that will actually be appreciated by customers. However,
I also suppose this doesn’t really count as a free gift since I had to pay for my membership!
Why do customers like to receive free gifts from companies?
Everybody likes to receive free things, no matter who gave it or where it comes from! So it’s
only logical that people would like to take advantage of anything that companies give them.
Usually when one receives a gift from a company or a business, it’ll be a surprise and quite
unexpected. The unexpected nature of the gift might be one reason why someone would like to
receive it. If you expect to get nothing, and then end up receiving something, no matter how
small, it can make your day. Unfortunately, I cannot think of too many personal examples of this
happening - even when I do receive gifts from companies, it’s only usually because I’ve already
spent a significant amount of money.
给你留下深刻印象的课程
Describe a lesson that impressed you a lot
You should say
What the course was about
Where you took the course
What you did during the course
And explain why it impressed you a lot
I wouldn’t often describe myself as being “impressed” with lessons, even if I learn a lot from
them. However, in the literal sense, there are definitely lessons which have left a rather strong
impression on me, especially during my studies at university. In my first year at uni, I took a
course that required us to learn about Russian history. I was astonished to discover all kinds of
different facets of Russian history that I had never known prior to this course. One lesson in
particular stands out, when we were reading about the origins of the modern Russian nation state.
Our lecturer for this course was a very kindly old man, whose name I have unfortunately
forgotten. He was also a very lenient marker, so everyone who took the course received quite a
high grade. His lectures were always very expressive and gripping, so whenever he was teaching
us, we would all be focusing. Some of the topics he discussed were quite dry - such as economy
and agriculture - but his style made sure that they were interesting regardless. To give an
example of the impression his lessons had on students, I remember once that me and my fellow
students had a debate about the Russian economy that lasted for hours after his lecture!
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Part 3
Why do some people have better memory?
Honestly, I’m not sure I know enough about the inner workings of the brain to fully answer this
question. I suppose that, the younger you are, the better capacity you have to remember things.
But generally speaking, people who keep their brains active and alert are able to retain memories
for a longer period of time. I remember reading a study in a newspaper where they conducted a
very interesting study; it concluded that old people who did activities such as crosswords and
Sudoku were less likely to develop memory-related problems in later life, such as dementia. Ever
since I read that, I try to do some daily brain training. I might be young right now, but I think it’s
always good to prepare for the future.
Do people like things of memorial significance?
I think so, yes. But there will always be some people who will look at these items - be they a
statue or something else - and feel some kind of negative sentiment. There could be a variety of
reasons as to why, but I have never experienced this myself. Inherently, I think human beings are
rather nostalgic creatures and like to remember events of the past. These things of memorial
significance are but one way we can do so. We can even see this on a smaller, personal level - if
people didn’t like these sorts of things, then they wouldn’t take photos to remember them in the
future.
Which can help people remember things better, words or photos?
Throughout history, it has been very easy to misconstrue or even deliberately misinterpret words,
so I’m not entirely sure that they are very reliable as a method of memory. Although photos can
also be manipulated nowadays, genuinely I believe it is easier to remember things through the
lens of a camera. If I am trying to remember a holiday I’ve had, or a particular experience, then I
certainly remember images in my brain more clearly than things people have said before. Words
can be more reliable if they are in the form of writing, but nothing triggers the memory more
than strong visual accompaniment.
Can technology help people remember things better? How?
Technology has come so far in the past century that is has enabled us to take an unbelievable
amount of photographs and videos. Therefore, we can easily remember some things that have
happened to us before, or perhaps prominent news stories of the past. It is strange to think about
how many of these images might even outlast us. Speaking of technology and memory, I
remember reading a recent article explaining how some scientists are trying to invent brain chips
that will allow human beings to increase their brain capacity, ergo their memory. Personally I’m
not sure if we should be playing around with human physiology like this, but I think that it’s
interesting in theory.
你记得的别人给你讲的故事
Describe a story someone told you and you remember
You should say
What the story was about
Who told you this story
Why you remember it
And how you feel about it
I think a good example of a story somebody has told me before would be when my grandfather
told me about his childhood. He used to work as a servant in a castle, so he had many different
tales about all kinds of interesting things. The one that sticks out most in my memory would
have to be when he claimed to have seen a ghost wandering outside the bedroom. Although I’m
25
not prone to superstition and I don’t tend to believe in the paranormal, my grandfather was very
convincing. He is, like me, quite sceptical about these sorts of things - to hear him speak with
such conviction and clarity about this ghost was remarkable. He claims that it was the ghost of a
maid who died in the castle kitchen hundreds of years ago, although I can’t specifically
remember the exact cause of death. When he first told me this story, I think I was about 12 or 13
years old, and it’s stuck with me ever since. Even to this day, I sometimes get chills down my
spine just thinking about it; even though, as I mentioned before, I’m not usually the kind of
person who would believe in stuff like this. One day, I hope to be able to visit the castle that my
grandfather was talking about, although I have no ambitions to go ghost hunting!
Part 3
Do young children like the same stories as older children?
I would guess that stories for young children might have to be told a little bit more simply than
those made for older children. From what I can gather, older children generally prefer stories
with more action and exciting themes, whereas younger children can adapt more easily to basic
fables and stories with black-and-white morals. But there are some stories passed down through
many generations that are universally beloved; not just by young and old children, but even by
adults in some cases. This is especially the case today, where we see many grown ups profess an
interest in comic books and genres typically considered more “childish” such as fantasy.
How has technology changed storytelling?
I’m not really sure technology has significantly changed the way that we tell stories; or, if it has,
then it’s too early to really assess it’s impact. If we are making predictions about the future, it is
possible that technology will allow us to be able to memorise certain stories more accurately, but
other than that I can’t see any big changes. There are certainly minor cosmetic changes - for
example, stories may now obviously feature references to pieces of technology in them - but the
overall themes and plots of many stories nowadays are largely the same as they have been
throughout history. If we look at the most popular movies, like Disney or comic book movies,
we can see that their plots are pretty much the same as classical fairy tales - the good guys beat
the bad guys. The only thing that’s changed is the format.
How do people tell stories to children?
There are a variety of ways to tell stories to children. Telling stories orally is how people have
taught their children throughout all of human history, and can be done by anybody. In addition to
this, some people prefer to write their stories down for children; this is how famous novels such
as The Hobbit began. The author of The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien, was telling stories to his child
but kept forgetting some important elements of his own tales. Therefore, he decided to take notes
about it and it turned into a novel. However, children usually prefer some kind of visual
stimulation - scientific studies have shown that a lot of kids can absorb stories more effectively
when they’re accompanied by pictures.
Why do children like stories?
Children learn about the world through being told stories, and it is one of the primary ways that
they are able to grow as people. As for why they like them, it’s difficult to point to a specific
answer. Quite frankly, it allows for their imaginations to run wild and acts as a form of escapism
from boring classes that they might experience every day. But I don’t think it’s true to act as if
only children can enjoy stories; even though I am an adult, I still enjoy listening to people telling
interesting stories about themselves. It’s always fun to indulge in flights of fantasy, as far I’m
concerned!
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离不开的东西
Describe something that you can’t live without(not a computer/phone)
You should say
What it is
What you do with it
How it helps you in your life
And explain why you can’t live without it
Excluding technology, I’m not sure there’s many things I can possess that are truly essential to
me. I tend not to care too much about personal belongings, and I try to live a life that’s not based
around material possessions. Having said that, if we are talking about things we can’t live
without in a more abstract sense, then I guess I would have to say my family. It’s an obvious
answer, but it doesn’t make it any less true - without my family to guide me and encourage me
whenever I need a pick-me-up, I don’t think I would be a very successful person. All the success
I have attained thus far is due to my family backing me up and supporting every dream that I had.
If we must talk purely about physical objects, then the thing I cannot live without is something
related - a picture of my family that sits on my windowsill. Every day I look at it for strength and
support, and it’s especially helpful during tough times. It may not be something that has too
many different functions, or affects my ability to carry out tasks, but it is certainly something
that I feel like I need to get me through certain situations.
Part 3
Why are children attracted to new things(such as electronics)?
I think children are attracted to whatever they are conditioned to be attracted to. Because
everything is new to a child, they will naturally be more attuned to liking new things, but I don’t
necessarily think it has to be some kind of newfangled technological development such as a
computer or mobile phone. It just is often the case that they are drawn to these things due to
trends and marketing. This is especially the case with technological apparatus such as video
games consoles. But at the end of the day, I think that these urges need to be somewhat curbed;
children need to be taught how to keep things for a long period of time and cherish items, not
discard something just as soon as a new replacement emerges.
Why do some grown-ups hate to throw out old things(such as clothes)?
Once you grow older, you feel more responsibility in general. This can be a responsibility for
people and situations, but more often than not it involves some kind of financial responsibility.
As such, some people are loathe to throw away things that might still have some kind of use. If it
can still be used, why would you need to waste money getting something new? This is especially
the case when it comes to clothes - unless it’s holey or covered in mould, most clothes are
completely usable. You might as well protect your wallet and protect the environment at the
same time. I was certainly taught as a youth to squeeze as much use out of every object I could
before throwing it away; after all, there are people in far less fortunate situations who would
really appreciate some of the items we discard.
Is the way people buy things affected? How?
Technology has completely altered the way people consume and purchase products. It’s led to
some conveniences, but also arguably some violations of privacy. On the one hand, we have
almost every product we could dream of at the touch of our fingertips - apps such as Taobao are
incredibly easy to use, almost too easy. In contrast, these same apps are also able to access our
internet histories and advertise new products to us - I personally feel very uneasy about this since
I feel like I’m being monitored at all times. I remember once talking about a particular candy I
liked, and the next day I saw it being recommended to me! It was terrifying. Another problem is
that this convenience has created a “fast fashion” phenomenon, where people are believing
clothes and other items to more disposable since they are cheaper and more plentiful than before.
27
What do you think influences people to buy new things?
The number one factor in influencing people to buy new things is necessity. It’s quite simple
logic; if a person is in need of an item, then they will buy that item. But, of course, human beings
are very susceptible to marketing and advertisement, therefore these things dominate our lives.
Everywhere we go, we are bombarded with commercials. Another reason that someone may
decide to buy something is what we call FOMO - the fear of missing out. If all of your friends
have a brand new, trendy object then it makes sense that you will also want to come into
possession of that object, right? Ultimately, there’s no one singular factor for someone needing
to buy something.
不喜欢的规则
Describe a rule that you don’t like
You should say
What it is
Why you don’t like it
How others feel about the rule
And explain whether you’ve followed the rule
As someone who values their independence a lot, I think that I take umbrage with quite a lot of
rules that try to restrict what I can do. One example of this is my time at college, when we briefly
had a curfew. We were meant to be back in our school campus by 11p.m. sharp; if we weren’t,
then the gates to our dormitories would be locked shut and we wouldn’t be able to get in. This
posed numerous problems. Of course, I feel like it gives the students less choice and limits their
personal freedoms, but I also think it’s an incredibly inconvenient rule that could possibly be
dangerous. If you shut out a student at a bad time, then it could have potentially disastrous
consequences. However, many students did not like this idea at all and decided that they would
complain to the school faculty. Most of the students managed to find ways around the rule
anyway, and would sneak in through windows and such. Personally, I was never daring enough
to try something like that - despite this, I joined in with my fellow students complaints. After a
while, the school conceded and the rule was repealed. It was very embarrassing for the faculty,
and I think many other places took note at the reception it got. I’m not entirely sure why they
thought the rule was a good idea in the first place.
Part 3
What are the rules students should follow at school?
If a student is to become a diligent and disciplined person in later life, then they should try to
obey all the rules that a school gives them. This extends to rules about school uniforms,
punctuality and treating your teachers with their due respect. However, if a student is confronted
with a rule that they think is unfair or unjust then I don’t see why they shouldn’t be able to have
some kind of dissenting voice. Whilst it makes sense to punish students for not being on time,
for example, it will need to take in extraneous factors. Perhaps the student had a medical
emergency, or a family issue; some school policies may in fact be too strict in these kind of
circumstances.
Are the rules at school good or bad? Why?
It largely depends on the school and on the specific rules. The core rules at most schools have
some kind of logic behind them - for example, students should arrive on time and should always
stay focused on the work. Other rules such as wearing a school uniform instil a sense of
discipline and decorum that will come in handy later in their life. Having said that, some schools
have rather strange rules or or exhausting schedules for their students which only create
28
resentment. To give an example, my school banned students from being able to wear shorts in
the summer, despite the intense heat. Eventually this rule was repealed, but I think it was a
terrible idea in the first place. School rules should have the students well-being as their priority.
What rules should children follow at home?
Every parent has a unique style of teaching, and each of these methods contains a different set of
rules. Since I am not a parent, I find it difficult to point at exactly what rules I think children
should follow. If I look back to my childhood, I believe that I was raised in the correct manner -
if I excelled at something I was rewarded, and if I was rude or lazy then I was punished. Rules
that I think are important include strict bedtimes for children since it unhealthy to be up too late,
and I also believe that children should help out with minor household chores whenever they can.
Learning doesn’t just stop at school, and children should learn how to be helpful and courteous
to everyone they meet - assisting around the house is one way to instil a kind of discipline
without being strict.
How are people punished when parking at a wrong spot?
Thankfully I have never encountered this situation since I can’t drive! However, from what I
remember, people are usually punished with a small fine that could potentially grow larger if
ignored. If you really exacerbate the situation by refusing to pay the fine, then you could look at
a small jail sentence although this is exceedingly rare. Almost every driver I know has had to pay
a parking fine at some point; whilst it’s an annoying inconvenience, it doesn’t seem to be too
much of a problem for them. But I would guess that the size of the fine depends on exactly
where you are parked and precisely how much you have inconvenienced other people.
之前坏掉之后修好了的东西
Describe something that was broken in your home and then repaired
You should say
What it is
How it was broken
How you got it repaired
Because I’m quite a clumsy individual, it’s often the case that something breaks around my
house. One of the more notable examples I can think of is a glass door in my house - it’s consists
of a single glass pane that separates my living room from my kitchen. I went into the kitchen to
get a snack but then I accidentally walked through the glass pane because I didn’t see that it was
closed behind me. So I had lots of terrible glass cuts on my knee and I had to go to hospital to
get stitches! I live on campus, so my school sent a repairman over to assess the situation the next
day and to clean up the glass shards that were still on the floor. It’s a dangerous job to do, but
they did it very well. About two or three days later I had a new glass door as a replacement -
however, I am always very careful nowadays to check that the door is open! I don’t want a
repeat of that incident again. All in all, I felt a little bit embarrassed by the whole situation - if it
were not for my awful clumsiness, then we wouldn’t have been talking about this in the first
place. Even to this day, the scars from the incident haven’t fully healed. Alas, it taught me a
lesson about common sense and to always pay attention to my surroundings.
Part 3
Are IT-related jobs valued more by society?
It never used to be the case, but I think we are now entering a period where the STEM jobs - that
is, science, technology, engineering and mathematics - are valued above everything else. IT jobs
would fall under this umbrella. I think this is in large part due to people not really understanding
29
how computers work, therefore they look upon engineers and IT professionals with some level
of reverence. Although I think it’s good that these jobs are more respected by people than they
were in the past, I do not think it should come at the expense of other vocations, particularly in
the field of humanities. Maybe I’m just bias though, since I don’t really know too much about
computers myself!
Is the quality of products worse than before?
It’s difficult to say, and it would depend on exactly what we mean by quality. In a lot of respects,
products are becoming more refined and convenient for people to use. However, I do believe that
they are also becoming more disposable and I think this is perhaps a deliberate design choice.
After all, if a mobile phone or computer is only built to last for a few years, then you will soon
enough have to buy a new one. Some people may accuse this of being a bit of a cynical view, but
an old phone of mine from 10 years ago can still function if it charged. On the other hand, any
new phone I buy usually stops working within the space of a few years.
What kinds of things do people like to repair by themselves?
I don’t know about other people, but I hate repairing anything! I am too clumsy with my hands,
so I usually end up making a bad situation even worse. I would suppose that my father is an
example of somebody who likes to fix things by himself. Usually this will be something related
to pipes or our house’s water supply, since he used to be a plumber when he was young. I’ve
heard a lot of people prefer to fix holes in their own clothes as well by stitching them up. But
personally, these are not skills that I am particularly adept at. I would prefer to spend money
having something fixed professionally than to ruin something and have it cost more money in the
long-run.
Why do people like to get their mobile phones repaired in specialized stores?
Items like mobile phones require a lot of technological knowledge to fix sometimes, especially if
it’s something related to the hardware. I know for sure that I am not adept at these kind of things,
so I always go to a specialised store. Generally I think older people are more risk averse, and
trying to avoid unnecessary complications, so they will prefer to talk to an expert about these
complex gadgets, whereas a young person might just search about the problem on the internet.
But the internet is filled with scammers and con artists, whereas discussing an issue in person
tends to be a safer option.
和朋友的一次有趣的谈话
Describe an interesting conversation you had with your friend
You should say
Who you spoke with
Where you were
What the conversation was about
And explain why you think it was interesting
My friends and I frequently discuss a range of different topics, ranging from societal issues to
more trivial things such as music and sports. With some friends, I am more liable to engage in
small talk, but there’s one friend I have named Aidan with whom I have some rather interesting
discussions. He has an interest in historical studies, similar to me, so we will talk with each other
about history at length. The other day, I can’t remember specifically when, we were having a
video chat. We live in different countries now, so video calling each other is the only real
convenient way for us to have discussions - we will typically talk at length for hours and hours
until we have to hang up. One particular conversation we had recently was about the origins of
different countries flags - although I consider myself quite knowledgeable in this field, Aidan is
30
on a completely different level. We were discussing the flag of France, and he was able to
explain the reasoning behind such specific details as the colours on the flag. Perhaps some
people wouldn’t find topics such as this interesting, but I personally found it fascinating and I
look forward to the next time we can have such a discussion.
Part 3
When do children normally form their own views?
From a very young age, children are able to express their likes and dislikes. Even as infants, you
are able to understand when they like a certain toy or piece of food, and when they dislike it.
This even applies to opinions about people; young children automatically are drawn to certain
people, and are wary of others. So I think there isn’t a tangible point where we can say that
children automatically form views. Besides, children’s views are mostly shaped by their
surroundings, which is almost always their families and the education system - so whether these
views can be considered truly their own is also debatable. It’s only upon developing critical
thinking faculties that children can truly form beliefs that are their own.
Do children have strong opinions?
I think children are more liable to have strong opinions than nuanced ones. When you are a kid,
and are not able to fully critically evaluate the things around you, most situations will appear to
be black-and-white. We can look at fairy tales for example - they almost always have simple,
easily understood fables at the core of their story. So I guess I would argue that the only opinions
children can have are strong opinions - it’s either the case that they hold a view, or they don’t
really care about something at all. As adults, we are almost obligated to hold opinions about
everything, even if we don’t feel too strongly about an issue whereas children have the luxury of
being able to remain neutral.
Should parents request their kids to obey them?
Almost every parent wishes for their child to be obedient, and sometimes I think it is necessary
for a child to obey their parent. If a kid is being naughty or rude towards other people, then they
should obey their parents wishes and learn how to be more respectful. Most parents would give
anything for their child, and only ever make demands if it is in their child’s best interest. It is
important that people understand discipline and manners from a young age. However, sometimes
parents just want to boss their children about and scare them into doing something; I think that
this is wrong. There is a difference between an obedient child and scared child, and parents
should be careful about that distinction.
In what industries do you think communication is a necessary skill?
I can’t think of a single industry where you don’t need communication! Regardless of whether
you are working in the service industry as a team, or you are a professor teaching students in a
college, you will need to have some kind of communication skills. I think it is especially vital
when you are teaching, since you need to be able to transfer knowledge verbally upon other
people; if you are lacking in communication skills, this will be impossible. But also, people
working in any kind of business will find it necessary to be able to communicate and shift
whatever product they are selling. Perhaps it is most important in the emergency services - that is,
for police officers, firefighters and doctors. Without their ability to communicate, society would
probably collapse!
从长者那里学到的一项技能
Describe a skill that you learned from older people
You should say
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What the skill is

Who you learned it from
How you learned it
And how you feel about it
Technically, I suppose every skill that a person learns in childhood - or at least a majority of
them - will be from someone older than them. On that note, I would like to discuss how I first
learned to write in cursive. When I talk about cursive, I am referring to “joined-up” writing,
where the letters all connect with each other. As a kid, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, I found stuff like
this rather difficult. Even though the content of my work was usually quite high quality, my
teachers would complain of the messiness of my writing style. One day, my English teacher
approached me and offered me some advice about how to clean up my writing - in addition to
this, she gave me a book that contained a rigid template for writing. Every day, I practiced
writing letters in between the lines that were laid out in the book and, eventually, I was able to
write neatly. After that, learning cursive became quite simple and things all fell in to place. My
teacher then marked my homework one day and complimented me on how much I had improved
my handwriting technique, so naturally I was very pleased with myself. As a reward, my parents
bought me a toy that I had wanted for some months. Unfortunately, as the years have passed, my
writing has somewhat regressed, and people once again complain about how messy it is! The
difference is that I mostly use computers to write nowadays, so it’s not as big of a deal as it was
before.
Part 3
What can children learn from their parents?
Depending on their age, children learn almost everything from their parents. Not only
conventional knowledge, but also mannerisms, common sense and how they treat other people.
This isn’t even to mention the importance that parents have on initially teaching their children
how to walk and talk. It is a parents’ responsibility to teach children through their own actions;
this is why parents should always act kindly and with empathy. Children may not actively take
notes on how you treat people, but will process it subconsciously. They will pick up on even the
smallest actions of people that they look up to, which of course includes parental figures.
What knowledge can children learn from their grandparents?
Grandparents sometimes act as surrogate parents, so are afforded the same responsibilities. If
parents are away due to work, then grandparents will need to fill this role by teaching children
how to act around other people and helping out with any needs that they have. However, I think
grandparents are typically more prone to spoiling children - which is why it is very important
that children spend time with both parents as well as grandparents. When I was a child, I
remember my grandparents taught me some valuable life skills such as cooking and cleaning,
which I have taken with me even until this day. Grandparents can also introduce their
grandchildren to parts of their culture that they perhaps haven’t had access with before - old
songs, movies and even recreational activities such as games.
What kind of help do you think older people need?
This question is reliant on how we define old people. Some old people may not need physical
assistance, but particularly elderly people might need help with moving from one place to
another. As their physical abilities decline, they may also be reliant on other people to assist with
household chores. I remember my grandmother had a very large garden in front of her house,
which me and my brothers would tend to as she found it harder to move around. Older people
may also need help with learning how to use new technology, such as computers and mobile
phones. While the generational gap is declining somewhat, this is a big problem that few people
of my age really consider.
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What skills can young people learn from older people?
Most skills that young people learn are usually passed down from their elders. It doesn’t matter
whether it’s a teacher passing down educational knowledge to their students, a sports coach
instilling some kind of technique, or even a parent teaching their child how to behave in front of
certain people. Young people are reliant on the knowledge and expertise of older people in order
to fulfil their potential. Older people, with all of their expertise, are responsible for nurturing
skills in the next generation and making sure that their knowledge doesn’t disappear with theirs.
Every skill to do with my occupation, I learned from people older than me - for example, how to
communicate and what specific actions will make people react in a certain way.
一件别人送给你的衣服
Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you
You should say
What the clothing was
Who gave it to you
When you got it
And explain why this person gave you the clothing
As a child, I remembered the disappointment of receiving clothes for Christmas. It may sound
rather spoiled, and nowadays I love getting new items of clothing as a gift, but back in those
days all kids wanted were toys, video games or sweets. So when my auntie bought me a pair of
flowery socks one Christmas, I felt so deflated that I almost cried. Of course, this is a massive
overreaction, but I do think that it’s a rather inappropriate gift. After all, young boys do not
typically like flowery socks with cute little decorations on them. Even my parents thought it was
a very strange item of clothing to buy for me, so they immediately took it to the charity shop and
gave it away as soon as they could. I’m not entirely sure why my auntie didn’t at least buy me a
more fitting pair of socks, but either way I suppose I wouldn’t have been happy with the gift.
Now I can look back at this situation with a tinge of embarrassment for acting so spoiled, but I
can also laugh at myself. I guarantee that next time I receive a pair of socks from her, I will react
with more gratitude.
Part 3
Have you ever given clothes to others?
Sometimes I have bought small items of clothing such as a pair of socks as a gift. The most
recent time I did this was for a friend’s wedding - in the UK, we traditionally only offer small
gifts as wedding presents, so a gift of some socks with the couple’s initials on it is a completely
appropriate one. Clothes are easy to purchase and tend to last for a long time, so I really do think
they are great gifts to buy someone if you’re running out of ideas or aren’t wanting to spend a
great deal of money. I personally always appreciate being gifted items of clothing too.
Why do people dress casually in everyday life but dress formally at work?
Dressing formally at work is supposed to create a professional environment and a more cohesion
as a team - however, many people opt only to dress formally or in uniform when their superiors
in a company are investigating. In every day life, when they are away from work, people just
want to be able to relax and live life on their own terms. Therefore, they might wear something
that is unprofessional and casual, but comfortable. It’s certainly the case for me - I usually wear
very snug and comfy slacks whenever I get a bit of time to myself. With the pandemic though,
more people are working from home and therefore their standards of dressing are likewise
slipping.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing uniforms at work and school?
The advantages of wearing uniforms are that they create a disciplined, professional atmosphere
and a larger sense of unity between colleagues or students. At school, all of us had to wear a
uniform and we would be punished for any kind of minor infraction. Although this seemed harsh
at the time, it was a good idea in retrospect. As for disadvantages, there are some obvious ones -
for example, it is undeniable that wearing a uniform is some kind of infringement upon a
person’s individuality and means of expression. Also, parents are forced to buy uniform at often
extortionate prices otherwise their children are not able to resume studies at school - this can be a
major inconvenience for some families.
Why do people from different countries wear different clothing?
People are naturally inclined to follow trends and fashions from their own culture. It only makes
sense then, that people from different countries would have vastly different tastes in clothing.
Also, clothing is often dependent on weather conditions, which obviously vary from country to
country. If you look at the example of a very hot country like Iraq, and compare it to somewhere
more frigid such as Iceland, we can understand why they have such stark differences in their
dress sense. If you are constantly exposed to sunshine and humidity, you will want loose fitting
clothes that might be able to block the sunshine at the same time. Whereas, in colder climates,
you will want warm and insulated clothing.
特别的蛋糕
Describe special cake you received from others
You should say
When this happened
Where this happened
Who gave you the cake
And explain why it is a special cake
People usually describe me as having a sweet-tooth, meaning that I like to eat a lot of sweet
things. As a result, whenever people want to give me a present, they will often opt for something
sweet and edible. One of the greatest things I have ever eaten was actually a birthday cake I
received last year. My friends all chipped in some money to buy me a delicious pistachio and
raspberry jam sponge cake from the most esteemed bakery in my city. I was immediately
impressed when I heard about it, since I know that this is not a cheap place to buy cakes from.
We were having a meal at a local dumpling restaurant when my friends brought the cake out
before me - although they almost dropped it because one of them tripped over! It was a very
nervy moment. This cake was special for many reasons. As I discussed before, it tasted
delightful. But not only this - it was also a gesture of friendship, since my friends all knew
exactly what kind of flavours and textures I would like in a cake. I wouldn’t often describe items
of food as being particularly special, but I think that this cake is an exception. It was remarkable.
Part 3
What’s the difference between special food in China and foreign countries?
It all depends on how you define special food. In China, for example, there are some foods that
are typically only eaten on certain festivals such as mooncakes. Foreign countries also have
various festival-time meals of varying different flavours and purposes. In that sense, talking
about special foods of foreign countries is incredibly difficult since there are hundreds of
separate countries each with their own unique cultures and cuisines. Having said that, food is put
on a very special pedestal in China; Chinese people are every proud of their culinary traditions
and each meal that’s made here has its own history and story. Perhaps people in China feel more
strongly towards their food than people in countries such as the UK.
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Is there any food in your country that is eaten at special times or on special occasions?
There’s plenty of food in the UK that is only eaten on special occasions, mostly around
Christmas time. Of course, the idea of eating Turkey, Christmas pudding and mince pies is
something that many people around the world have heard about before. So for this question I
want to talk about a bit more of a strange tradition; every year, the UK hosts the Wimbledon
tennis tournament. It is a custom to eat strawberries and cream during the tournament since it
always falls in the summer when the ingredients are the freshest. This is a tradition that has
lasted for over a century and was thought to have been introduced by King George the fifth when
he attended the competition.
Why are some people willing to spend a lot of money on meals on special days?
I think that a lot of people in China are more willing to spend large amounts of money on special
occasions such as birthdays since they want to make a good impression on other people. The
same logic applies to weddings; typically, wedding banquets are usually very expensive
considering the quantity of food. Most of the time, people assume that a higher price means
better quality, and this is often true; but also people don’t want to be seen as “cheapskates”. It’s a
sad situation, but many people care too much about what others thing and will go to extreme
lengths to show their generosity.
Do you think it is good ti communicate when eating with your family?
This is a topic I feel rather strongly about. One huge pet peeve of mine is when people talk with
their mouths full of food. I personally find it to be absolutely disgusting and completely
graceless. I’m not against discussions at the table at all but, if one really wants to talk with other
people whilst eating, then they should finish their mouthful first. In terms of what subjects to
discuss, the dinner table is a great place to reflect upon recent events with your family or close
ones. But I remember that my parents always enforced very strict table manners - this meant that
we could not watch TV whilst eating, we would chew with our mouths closed and we would
absolutely never talk with food in our mouth.
一首有趣的歌曲
Describe an interesting song
You should say
What the song is
What story the song tells
Whether the song is popular
And explain why you think it is interesting
Music is a passion of mine that I’ve had ever since I can remember. Therefore, I could list
dozens of songs and artists who I feel are worthy of serious listening. The song I want to discuss
in relation to this question is called “Emerald” and it is performed by an Irish rock band called
Thin Lizzy. On a musical level, this song is fantastic, with two guitars playing harmoniously
with each other over a galloping rhythm section that is kind of reminiscent of a marching army,
or perhaps horses hooves. The song’s lyrics are also meaningful. Thin Lizzy are a band who like
to write a lot about Irish mythology and history, and this song in particular details an Irish battle.
When I listen to the song, I feel invigorated and excited. It pumps me up. Sometimes, I like to
exercise to this kind of music, since I believe it fills me with determination. Thin Lizzy used to
be a very famous band where I come from, but people aren’t too familiar with this song in
particular, I don’t think. In addition, they are an old band so I think that young people wouldn’t
opt to listen to them - although I think that their music has aged very well personally. I would
strongly recommend anyone who has an interest in rock music or musical composition to listen
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to this song.
Part 3
Why are many music competitions popular in China?
China is very fond of musical competitions, particular for singing and classical instruments such
as violin or piano. As for the reasons why, I’m sure they are very complex and I can’t pin it
down exactly. I think that China likes competitions in general and, especially at a young age,
society can be rather competitive. Therefore, it only makes sense that this would extend to music
as well. In addition, musical competitions have become mainstays on public television since they
are cheap and easy to produce in comparison to other kinds of shows - therefore peoples tastes
have become shaped around it. One thing to note is that I think musical competitions are popular
worldwide, even if China does seem particularly into them.
What kinds of music do young people like?
I think we are entering an era where young people feel more comfortable liking a wide variety of
music. It used to be the case that people would stick to only a couple of genres, and these genres
would be associated with certain kinds of people - however, almost everyone of my generation
and the generation after listen to a plethora of different styles of music. Nowadays, I would say
hip-hop is probably the most dominant genre among young people, but a lot of kids still like to
listen to pop music. Some particularly adventurous listeners may opt for a different style -
something like rock or even classical. All of these different genres can appeal to people in
different frames of mind.
What kings of people like traditional music?
People who tend to like traditional music are often people who feel a strong connection with
their culture - and this tends to be older people. But I don’t think it’s only a matter of culture, I
also think that nostalgia has a large role to play in older people’s preference for traditional music.
This isn’t to say that young people cannot enjoy it, but I do think that older people who are
uncomfortable with the rapid development of society in addition to changing musical styles will
tend to fall back on things that they already know. As a result, I think that traditional music is
something that’s often taught to children, so they usually see it as a form of education as opposed
to listening to it for musics sake - this is a backwards way to go about teaching children musical
history since they should learn to like it based on its own merits.
What are the differences between live concert and online concert?
I must admit, the concept of an online concert is something rather alien to me and I’m not sure I
get the appeal of it. With a live concert, you can see your favourite artists in person and feel the
live energy of a crowd who may sing along with you to songs you love. Not only can you
witness great music but you can also meet friends and treat it like a social gathering. With an
online concert, from my understanding, you will just watch it through a screen usually by
yourself. The musicians are playing live but would probably have no audience - so it’s
essentially like we’re watching a musician practice! I would rather just buy an album in that case.
走过的很长的路
Describe a long walk you ever had
You should say
When this happened
Where you walked
Who you were with
And explain how you felt about this long walk
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If I ever need to clear my mind or relax after a hard week, I will go for a stroll around the city I
live in. I find it to be a genuinely very peaceful experience, and I would strongly recommend it
to anyone who is stressed. However, for this question, I want to talk about a different kind of
experience - when I was in school, we would have to go for a sponsored walk for charity every
year in the summer. This walk was about 16km long and every year, many students would try
their hardest to feign injury and get out of walking. In fact, I tried to do that as well, but I was
never successful. In 2010 we were doing the sponsored walk across the countryside, and it
started raining very heavily. Many of the students thought that the walk would be canceled and
that we would be able to go home, but the teachers insisted on making us walk the entire route.
Me and a few of my friends who were walking with me took another 3 or 4 hours to finish the
walk, and by the time we got back to the school, we were all soaked. It’s a miracle that we didn’t
catch a cold afterwards. Although I appreciate that this kind of walk is both good exercise and
can raise a lot of money for charity, I didn’t like the fact that the students had no choice to do it. I
think it would have been a better idea to offer the students the chance - after all, they would still
get to miss a full day of lessons so many of them would still want to do the walk.
Part 3
What outdoor activities do people like?
It depends on the person in question, but people like to engage in various outdoor activities.
Personally speaking, I love to go hiking and exploring the nature around me. I don’t think there’s
anything better than taking a deep breath of fresh air and becoming more at ease with the world.
Some people like to take it further by doing extreme sports like rock climbing or skiing to name
just two examples, but this kind of stuff costs money and may not be an option for people who
just want to experience the outdoors. Other people don’t like the outdoors at all, and they feel
that life is much comfier confined within the walls of their home.
What are the differences between the outdoor activities children did in the past and now?
It’s assumed that children generally spend less time outdoors nowadays than they did in the past,
but I’m not entirely sure that this is true. There were many less resources in the past and maybe
children dawdled about more than they do today, but children today are often engaged in a far
larger range of outdoor activities and sports due to the opportunities that they are afforded. This
could be a popular sport with many resources such as basketball, or it could be something more
niche like, perhaps, horse riding. Another big difference is that the outdoor activities children are
up to today are generally better supervised than they were in the past, meaning that they are far
safer.
Is leisure time important to everyone? Why?
Of course it is! It’s impossible to say that everyone has exactly the same opinion about
something, but I think you’d struggle to find anyone who doesn’t value leisure time. It affords
people a hard-earned chance to relax and remove any stress they might have. I do know of some
people who take a lot of pride in their work and don’t feel comfortable outside of work, but this
doesn’t mean that they don’t value their leisure time necessarily. Even if they don’t think that
their leisure time is important, we need such time in order to take care of our health, both
mentally and physically. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that it’s essential.
Do women have more leisure time than men?
I don’t think that we can divide the idea of leisure time based on gender. Some women will have
more leisure time than some men, and vice versa. Many women that I know work incredibly
hard and have far less leisure time than men due to work commitments. Going back to the past
generation, a lot of women who became mothers had that extra pressure eating at their leisure
time; even when they return to their homes, they still have to take care of a child. Leisure time
does not simply mean time away from work, it means time to relax. I can’t think of anything less
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relaxing than raising a child!
为了学习另一门语言所做的一件事
Describe a thing you did to learn another language
You should say
What language you learned
What you did
How it helped you learn the language
Learning languages is always a daunting task, and something that I find very difficult. As
someone who is trying to learn Chinese, which is a completely unrelated language to my native
one, it seemed to be an impossibility. If I was left to my own devices, I would probably have
made no progress. However, with the assistance of my friends, I have been able to improve my
abilities tenfold. Their tactic to help me is a very simple one; all they would do is refuse to speak
in anything other than Chinese and, lo and behold, I was forced to use Chinese more! When you
start gaining confidence in your abilities, that is when you finally start to become more adept.
Ever since we started these Chinese-only language sessions, I find it much easier to learn
vocabulary and listen out for difficult words. I still have many issues that will take a lot of time
to resolve, especially about the grammar and pronunciation, but I am doing far better than I was
before. Whereas I might have previously been nervous to go to restaurants where the menu was
only in Chinese, for example, nowadays I no longer have these kind of worries. I feel more and
more confident with each day, and hopefully I eventually be able to become fluent, even if I am
some distance from that at the moment.
Part 3
What difficulties do people face when learning a language?
Learning languages is always quite difficult, therefore people will have to confront a range of
different issues when they attempt to do so. Even if you have learned lots of vocabulary and
correct usage of grammar, you will not necessarily understand the cultural context behind certain
words and phrases. One example is when I learned Chinese and accidentally offended someone
by saying a word that I thought was completely innocent - it turns out that it’s actually a double
entendre for something rather rude! However, part of the joy of learning a language is
overcoming these kinds of difficulties. Once you start being able to understand sentences you
overhear, it makes all the trials and tribulations seem completely worth it.
Do you think language learning is important? Why?
Languages are skills which will always be valuable and important to learn. All throughout
human history, translators have been heralded as some of the most important people in society,
and it’s easy to see why. Without learning languages, we wouldn’t be able to understand other
cultures and would miss out on a range of different cross-cultural experiences. It seems strange
that somebody would limit themselves and not attempt to broaden their horizons; learning a
language may be difficult, but it’s indubitably an essential skill. Once you have adopted a new
language, it opens up a whole new world and avenue for communication with others.
Which is better, to study alone or to study in a group? Why?
Some people prefer self-study, whereas others prefer to be able to share the workload with others.
I think both paths have their advantages and disadvantages for different kinds of learners. If you
are a person who lacks communication skills or are very stubborn with your own ideas, then
perhaps it is best that you study alone. When you study alone, you are able to implement all of
your own ideas and it’s not necessary to compromise with others. However, by working in a
group, you can each tackle a specific part of a problem and run through it more efficiently. In
addition, someones separate people can come together to create a whole that is greater than the
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sum of their parts.
What’s the best way to learn a language?
If there was an objective answer to this question, then my life would be much easier!
Unfortunately, there isn’t really one single best way to learn a language; everybody may have
their own preferred methods, but different techniques work for different people. Personally, I am
a very slow learner and my journey learning a new language hasn’t been the most smooth, so
maybe my way of learning a language isn’t particularly advantageous. Having said that, I do
prefer to be surrounded by natural speakers and forced to speak another language - it’s the only
way I am encouraged to learn, otherwise I may get complacent and fall back on my native
language. I personally believe that merely looking at lists of words and trying to remember them
through a rote system is incredibly dull and doesn’t stimulate my mind enough.
成功组织的快乐活动
Describe a time when you organized a happy event successfully
You should say
What the event was
How you prepared for it
Who helped you to organize it
And explain why you think it was a successful event
Usually my organisational skills leave a lot to be desired, so I’m not a person who frequently
organises events. I suppose one instance of a successful event that I organised would be a game
of football for charity between teachers and students at my old school. Although it took some
time to gather an appropriate amount of teachers for this game, I did it almost all by myself and
we ended up raising quite a lot of money for an animal shelter. I was in charge of assembling the
players for the game, as I mentioned, but I also had to book a football pitch and make sure that
enough people would turn up to watch. However, this last responsibility was not too much of an
issue, since I feel like the students were very excited to watch their teachers play football. I had a
little bit of help for some of the technical issues from school faculty, but only a couple of my
peers at school were willing to help me out since they were too busy studying for their exams.
On the day of the match, there was a great atmosphere and the game proceeded with no problems
whatsoever. I presented the money to a representative from the charity and then everybody was
able to go home happily. I have fond memories of it to this day.
Part 3
How can parents help children to be organized?
When I was a child, my parents used to give me a schedule to fill out with all of my weekly
activities in order to increase my levels of common sense and organisation skills. I think that this
is an effective method of helping children to be organised, and certainly one that I plan to take
with me to the future if I ever have a child. Other than that, parents need to enforce a strict time
plan - this means having a child go to bed and wake up at certain times, regularly. Of course this
can become more lenient as the child grows, but it’s vital not only to help children be organised,
but also to help them grow healthier.
On what occasions do people need to be organized?
People need to be organised in every facet of their life if they truly want to make the most out of
it. Strictly regimenting your time and effort where it’s most needed can help us to create a
healthy balance of work and leisure time. In specific cases, it helps to be organised when you are
trying to create a large gathering of people, since you need to be able to cater to everybody’s
schedules. Another example of an occasion in which organisation is vital is when you are dealing
with finances. To elaborate, if you are careless with taking account of where and when you are
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spending your money, this could have disastrous consequences.
Does everything need to be well prepared?
Being well-prepared is something that everybody should aspire to be. This is especially the case
when it comes to qualities such as punctuality. I am certainly a person who prefers events to be
organised smoothly and prepared thoroughly; if I am giving a presentation or a talk about a topic,
I will always make sure to have at least two back up plans with me in case of some kind of
technological or administrative error. On a similar note, I will always arrive at least ten minutes
early to an event if it is something that I deem to be important. Not everything necessarily has to
be well prepared - if you are casually meeting with a friend, then it’s fine to have a more
lackadaisical attitude - but it certainly never harms to prepare for things.
Do people need others’ help when organizing things?
Some people insist on doing tasks by themselves because of the mentality that “too many cooks
spoils the broth”. This is understandable, since people always have different ideas about the best
way to solve problems. However, I personally appreciate when people assist me in organising
things, since it’s something I find to be quite difficult sometimes. If it a truly momentous
occasion, like a big party or gathering, then you will absolutely need other people to cooperate
with you and help you out. It’s impossible to organise meetings of dozens of people, each with
different needs and whims, by yourself. In summary, it really does depend on what things we are
talking about.
还没有实现的抱负
Describe an ambition that you haven’s achieved
You should say
What it is
Why you haven’t achieved it
What you did
I’m not an overly ambitious person, so I feel rather content with my achievements. There are a
few pipe dreams that I have, things that I don’t think I’ll ever accomplish, but generally it’s
difficult to think of specific ambitions I have that I haven’t yet achieved. I suppose one ambition
would be to travel across Europe by train. There are obvious issues relating to the coronavirus,
but another big obstacle to achieving this is the cost. Unfortunately, it’s very expensive and time
consuming, so I haven’t found many opportunities to fulfil this dream thus far. I think that
sometime in the future I will be able to complete this goal, but I have to consider both the timing
and the financial impact of it. It will require me having to have time away from my career to go
and travel, which is something that many places of work will find unacceptable. I do feel a bit
down sometimes that I’m not able to travel and reach my goals due to the pandemic, but in
reality I am one of the lucky ones. Many people are in far worse situations than me, so I
shouldn’t really dwell too much on something like this. Besides, I think that I will eventually be
able to do it, probably within the next 10 years.
Part 3
What ambitions do children usually have?
Children's ambitions can often seem rather outlandish to some adults, in a cutesy and naive way.
Many of them dream of spectacular jobs ranging from ones in real life such as astronauts, to less
realistic ones such as superheroes. Their ambitions may not be particularly complex or layered in
contrast with adults, but they have a charming sincerity to them that adults should aspire to.
Many kids dream of becoming jobs that are very useful in society, such as teachers or fire
fighters. Parents should encourage these aspirations as opposed to treating them as mere flights
40
of fancy. Outside of career paths, kids ambitions are usually rather short-term and involve the
acquisition of items; maybe toys, or maybe something else that they’ve seen on television.
Why are some people very ambitious in their work?
People who are ambitious tend to go further in their careers than those who are content. I’m not
really a very ambitious person by nature so I can’t detail the exact reasons why some people are
so driven and determined to the detriment of their own well-being. However, ultimately, they
may end up reaping very large rewards. A famous example of this is Michael Jordan, the
basketball star. He was so famously driven in pursuit of his goals, that he eventually broke to
superstardom and has become the most prominent and profitable basketball star ever to live. An
unambitious person would never have even made the first step. If you want to be the best
possible version of yourself, you need to have some degree of ambition.
Why don’t some people have dreams?
I don’t know anybody that doesn’t have some kind of dream or aspiration for the future. Even
relatively content and settled people such as myself eventually wish to go on and do something
with their life. I couldn’t possibly understand someone not having a dreams - only the most
content people who’ve already achieved everything they’ve set out to do in life can have no
aspirations. But as I don’t know anyone like this, it is difficult to detail any further. To be able to
have no dreams might be the biggest dream of all, since it would mean that you’ve obviously
achieved everything you’ve set out to do with your life!
How do people balance work and life?
Being able to balance a work schedule with a life outside of your job is one of the great
difficulties of society. It’s becoming exceedingly difficult to do so, since many companies prefer
to reward those who dedicate more and more time to working; this leads to an unhealthy work
culture where people start to feel guilty about relaxing. In order to combat this, some people will
insist on clearing their weekend schedule and making sure that they have time to do the things
that they want to do. In one extreme example, a friend of mine made sure that he’d leave his
work computer in its case all weekend so he wouldn’t be occupied with worries about his job.
41
保留题
Part 1
必考题（必考题示范请参考羊驼雅思APP-口语机经-Part 1）
Work or study
What work do you do?
Do you like your job?
Why did you choose to do that type of work(or, that job)?
Is it interesting?
Do you miss being a student?
What subjects are you studying?
Why did you choose to study that subject/ Why did you choose to study those subjects?
Do you like your subject?
Do you prefer to study in the mornings or in the afternoons?
Are you looking forward to working?
Hometown
What's the name of your hometown?
Is that a big city or small place?
Please describe your hometown a little.
How long have you lived there?
Do you like living there?
What do you like (most) about your hometown?
Is there anything you dislike about it?
Do you think you’ll continue living there for a long time? Do you plan to continue living
there?
Where would you like to live?
Home/Accommodation
Who do you live with?
How long have you lived there?
Do you plan to live there for a long time?
Can you describe the place where you live?
42
Which room does your family spend most of the time in?
What is the difference between where you are living now and where you have lived in
the past?
Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?
In the future, what type of place would you like to live in?
What kind of neighborhood/environment/ surroundings/ home would you like to live in?
What do you usually do in your house/flat/room?
选考题
Weather
What kind of weather do you like most?
What’s the weather like in your hometown?
Do you like the weather in your hometown?
Do you prefer dry or wet weather?
App
What apps have you recently used?
What kinds of apps are you usually interested in?
What was the first app you used?
What kinds of apps would you like to use in the future?
Pets & animals

What`s your favorite animal? Why?
Where do you prefer to keep your pet, indoors or outdoors?
Have you ever had a pet before?
What is the most popular animal in China?
Getting lost
Have you ever lost your way?
How can you find your way when you are lost?
Can you read a map when you get lost?
Have you ever helped someone who got lost?
Science
Do you like science?
43
When did you start to learn about science？

Which science subject is interesting to you?
What kinds of interesting things have you done with science?
Headphones
Do you use headphones?
What type of headphones do you use?
When would you use headphones?
In what conditions would you not use headphones?
Colours
What’s your favorite colour?
What’s the colour you dislike? Why?
What colours do your friends like most?
What colour makes you uncomfortable in your room?
Public gardens and parks

Would you like to play in a public garden or park？
What would you like to do when visiting a park?
How are the parks today different from those you visited as a kid?
Would you prefer to play in a personal garden or public garden?
Handwriting
Do you like handwriting?
Do you think handwriting is important?
Which do you prefer, handwriting or typing?
What are the differences between handwriting and typing?
Shoes
Do you like buying shoes? How often?
Have you ever bought shoes online?
How much money do you usually spend on shoes?
Which do you prefer, fashionable shoes or comfortable shoes?
Concentration
Is it difficult for you to stay focused on something?
What do you do to help you concentrate?
44
What may distract you when you’re trying to stay focused?

When do you need to be focused?
Spending time with others

Do you like talking with people?
How do you like spending time with others？
Would you prefer to study alone or with others?
Do you remember a time when you need to cooperate with others?
Barbecue
Do Chinese people like barbecue?
Did you have barbecue when you were a child?
What kind of food do you like to eat for barbecue?
Would you like to have barbecue with your family or your friends?
Part 2
你知道的知名运动员
Describe a famous athlete you know
You should say
Who he/she is
What he/she has achieved
And explain why he/she is famous
I know a famous canoeist from the UK named Joe Clarke. Joe is a canoeist for Team
Great Britain and has performed at three different Olympic events. He is a good friend of
mine and we have known each other for a long time. I went to school with Joe for
several years whilst I was on a study abroad program in the UK. He was always really
polite and friendly, and even then at age 10 he was obsessed with canoeing. He would
practice every weekend with his father at the local stream and compete in metes every
month at various county, regional and national level events. I went to study in the UK
when I was 8 years old and lived in the UK for around 4 years. I was in Joe’s class that
entire time and we got to know each other fairly well. At age 12 I remember going to see
Joe to perform at a national level canoe slalom event in London; at the competition were
some of the best canoeists in the country, it was very exciting. Joe competed last and
ended up winning the entire competition. He received a golden cup and a cash prize.
Later in life, long after I had moved away, Joe became very famous indeed in the UK for
performing and winning gold medals at the Rio Olympics in 2016. It’s an honour and a
45
privilege to have him as a friend.
Part 3
What kinds of exercise do Chinese people like?
I think that Chinese people are into a variety of different exercises. I know that many
young Chinese women enjoy doing yoga at their local gym; and I know that many men
enjoy jogging and playing basketball. For older people in China, a less rigorous form of
exercise is preferred, and so many older people enjoy going for walks in the park in
order to keep fit and others enjoy doing group dancing exercises in the afternoons. These
are the main types of exercise that people enjoy; but we Chinese enjoy many other types
of exercise too, things like swimming, playing football, working out at the gym, Tai Chi
or playing badminton.
What characteristics do you think an athlete should have?

Athletes need to be strong willed and driven. Getting good at a particular sport takes a
lot of dedication and time. Potential athletes that don’t have this level of drive will never
be successful. Athletes should also be very physically fit, obviously. If a potential athlete
has poor health, is overweight or has a poor diet then they will most likely never succeed
as a professional athlete. Some athletes also need to work well with other people and
need to be able to communicate comfortably as part of a team; this is true of course for
athletes that wish to take part in team sports, such as football or basketball.
Why are there so few top athletes?

There are so few top athletes because the standards at the top are so high. To become a
top athlete in football takes years of strenuous training and preparation, and even then it
might not be possible to reach the top. Athletes are scouted and trained in elite training
centers with extremely high standards; most athletes attempting to reach these centers
fail and have to play in lower leagues. Another reason there are so few top athletes is
because natural ability, the kind that marks a top athlete, is so incredibly rare; many
athletes train for years and still will never be the best because they lack that rare natural
gift for their sport.
What’s the best way to become a top athlete?

The best way, in fact the only way, to become a top athlete is to train hard until you
reach the top. Many of the world’s top athletes have reached that position because they
have put years and years and years into honing their skill and improving their fitness.
Many of the world’s top athletes will testify to having trained for their sport from the age
of 3 or even younger, never stopping, and singularly focusing on it to the detriment of
everything else. Football athletes will have spent their youth dribbling the ball around
the town, heading the ball up and down for hours, practicing their accuracy and their
pace and ignoring everything else. Being singularly driven is what gets you to the top.
欣赏的有创造力的人
46
Describe a creative person whose work you admire

You should say
Who he/she is
What creative things he/she has done
And explain why you think he/she is creative
My mom is someone whose creative work I admire. My mom has worked as an art
teacher for the past 30 years. She is also an amateur artist. I believe she has the skill and
creativity to be a world renowned artist but she tells me that art is not something she is
interested in selling; she does not want to affect the sanctity of her craft by capitalizing
on it for money, so she tells me. Nevertheless, her artwork is incredible; she can paint,
draw, sculpt and make 3D designs using a range of materials. Her artwork will usually
end up conforming to the way she is feeling that particular day. Her inspirations are
Gustav Klimt and Alfred Kubin when it comes to painting and drawing; and she takes
inspiration from Rodin when designing sculptures. Though her style is somewhat
amorphous and she can take inspiration from any artist, or none at all, if she feels like it.
She has designed the artwork that adorns the walls of my house, she has designed
sculptures that sit on the mantelpieces of friends and family and she has donated various
pieces to galleries and museums all over China. She is my inspiration and I enjoy to
watch her creative process. I think she gets her creativity from her own mother, who was
also an artist - and crazy! Luckily, my mom’s father was quite sensible and so my mom
got the good qualities from both parents and none of the bad.
Part 3
Do you think you are a creative person?
Yes I think I am. I always did well in art class at school and I thoroughly enjoyed any art
project that we were instructed to undertake. In my spare time I enjoy writing and
drawing and I enjoy going to museums and galleries to look at artwork. That being said,
nowadays I am so busy with my studies that I often don’t get to be creative and
sometimes I wonder if being so busy is slowly eroding my innate creativity. I certainly
hope not, but anyway to make sure that doesn’t happen I am taking steps to be more
creative everyday. I challenge myself to write 500 words every day, and also I am trying
to draw at least one picture a day.
Is it good for children to learn arts?

Yes I think so. Being creative is an important part of being human; the creative process
makes us feel fulfilled. it helps us to alleviate stress and suffering. I think that many
people nowadays think that learning art is a waste of time because it’s not a core subject
and thus it won’t help you secure a job as you get older. But I disagree, not necessarily
with the idea that art isn’t an important subject for securing a job, on that score it’s
difficult to say, but I disagree with the idea that art is a waste of time. Those that pursue
and enjoy being creative are generally more happy and more fulfilled I think.
What kinds of jobs require people to be creative?

I think that most jobs require at least a little bit of creativity. If you’re the CEO of a large
47
company then you need to be able to think outside of the box in order to outmaneuver
the competition; this requires a certain amount of creative thinking. School teachers need
to be creative because they need to be able to plan fun and engaging activities for their
children. Actors need to be creative because their job requires a certain level of
spontaneity as well as the ability to craft a persona. I’d say that only certain types of
labour jobs, like say a cleaner or a bricklayer, require no creativity whatsoever.
Do you think leaders need to have creative ability?

Yes I think they do. Leaders need to be able to think of innovative ideas or processes in
business in order to outmaneuver the competition. The CEO of a company must
continually re-think the way his business is being run in order to stay in front of other
competing companies. The leader of a country needs to be creative because they need to
be able to make executive decisions on the fly, which requires a certain level of creative
spontaneity. The type of person that can think outside of the box, so to speak, is a
creative person; creativity is the ability to fashion or re-fashion ideas and concepts; a
leader must have this quality if they are to thrive.
敬佩的商人
Describe a businessman you admire
You should say
Who this person is
How you knew this person
What kinds of business this person does
And explain why you admire this person
My father is a businessman, he owns a chain of supermarkets and also invests in real
estate, I admire him very much. My father has conducted business since he was around
16 years old; he told me that he never liked the idea of becoming a salaried employee
and so he committed himself to becoming a successful self-made, self-employed man.
Growing up, my father made plenty of mistakes, he started many businesses and many
of them failed before the first year. His first semi-successful business was in computing;
he ran a hardware distribution company with his friend from school and managed to turn
a sizable profit. After several years of doing this, he decided to move on by investing his
savings into a larger business. At around age 30, he bought a run-down supermarket in
the middle of town. He renovated it, re-marketed it and re-opened it. Almost
immediately the business took off, such that managing the growth of it became difficult.
To solve this problem he hired some consultants and a manager and began to take a
more hands-off approach to the business. Years later, he opened another supermarket,
and then another one after that in a different city. Eventually my father earned enough to
be able to invest in properties, something that takes up most of his time nowadays. I
admire my father greatly. I admire his tenacity and I admire his intelligence and bravery.
Part 3
What do you think is the retirement age for men and women?
48
I think that for most salaried employees in China the retirement age for men is 60; for
women the retirement age is 55. I think though that as the population of China begins to
age, and eventually start to decline, the retirement age will go up. Another reason the
retirement age will go up is because health standards are rapidly improving in China (as
they are across the world). Many people nowadays in their 60’s are very healthy and
spirited and could easily continue to earn a decent living, and the same is true for women
as well. But of course it depends on the job, many business people can retire on their
own at any age.
What kinds of qualities do people need to run their own business?

People who run their own business need to be driven and good at dealing with other
people. You need to be ambitious if you are to run a successful business. Many people
are simply not that interested in striking out on their own and would prefer to simply
earn a decent salary that offers benefits and a pension. Business people are often looking
to earn more than the average salary, such that they are willing to risk their savings or
their well-being in pursuit of running a successful business all on their own. So I guess
business people need to be brave as well as ambitious. Another important quality is the
ability to communicate well with others.
What do you think are the key factors that contribute to the success of a business?
I think that there are several key factors that contribute to success in business. I will just
focus on two of the lesser thought of factors here. First and foremost, I think that luck is
one of the key contributory factors in business success. It’s not what people like to hear
but it’s true; many of the world’s most successful businesses got lucky, not only lucky,
but lucky nonetheless. Another key factor is money, ‘you need money to make money’
goes the saying; any start-up with be far more likely to be successful if it has lots of
money behind it; a start-up financed with pennies and cents will most likely fail because
it won’t be able to match the standards of bigger and better businesses.
If you have the opportunity to have your own business, what business would it be? Why?
I enjoy reading a lot and so I would want to start a business that has something to do
with books. I know that that sounds like a really bad idea these days, because many
people are not so interested in reading. That precise reason however is why I would want
to start and run a successful business that caters to readers, I would want to reinvigorate
people’s passion for reading. I guess to start I would begin a distribution company for
books, much like how Amazon started. Then I would try branching into publishing,
writing courses and education. I would want to try and re-invent a niche that appeals to
readers but also the wider public.
小学给你印象最深的人
Describe a person who impressed you most in your primary school
You should say
Who he/she is
49
Why he/she impressed you most

And explain how you feel about him/her
The person who impressed me most in primary school was definitely my best friend
Tom. Tom was the coolest kid in the school, everyone liked him; even the teachers
seemed to like him and think he was funny. It’s strange when I think of him now,
perceptions change so much as you get older, the things that made me think he was cool
back then seem silly and quaint now. And part of me wonders why I didn’t behave in a
similar way or why I wasn’t the coolest kid in school back then, after all the stuff that
made Tom popular was easily replicable. Anyway, Tom and I were best friends in
primary school, we used to hang out all the time on the playground and we would go
over to each other’s houses and things like that. Tom was popular because he was
different, he had gelled up hair, something no other kid did at that time, and he rode a
skateboard to school! Not only that but he was good at skateboarding, before and after
class he would show people the tricks he had learned. No matter how fast he went his
hair never seemed to get ruffled! He was also funny, I say this because not only did he
make me and all of our friends laugh a lot, he also made the teachers laugh; I don’t know
I guess he must have been kind of witty even as a child. I was glad to have known him
back then, my childhood was great because of him.
Part 3
Why do people always miss their childhood?
I think that we tend to forget the bad stuff in life and only remember the good stuff. We
forget that we had a lot of anxiety as a kid and we forget about all of the homework, the
pressure from teachers and parents and society; we forget that we had to attend school
for many hours a day and had to compete with other children on a daily basis. In many
ways childhood isn’t good, but we forget. We remember having no external worries,
things like debt, mortgages, children, job obligations; we remember frolicking in the
woods with friends and play fighting and being attracted to girls at school; we remember
life being simpler, I think that’s what it is.
Are kids happier than adults? Why?

Probably they are. Being a kid is great! Your parents provide you with a social safety net
which means that you have no real, life-threatening concerns. In that sense life is pretty
easy. Although as a kid you do have plenty of responsibilities at school such as
homework and exams; I think for many kids, this can be particularly stressful. But even
then, on the whole I would say that you have far less stress as a kid than as an adult and
are thus happier. There are no debts to pay, no relationship problems, no mortgages, job
obligations or children to take care of.
Why do people still remember many of their friends from primary school?
I think that childhood is a special time in our life. It’s an epochal period, and we only
have three or four of those. Childhood is formative, it makes us who we are. This means
that the friends we make make us who we are. This is why we will always have a natural
affinity for those friends. I am still good friends with the people from my primary
school , and not just experiences; we share a sense of humour, we share the same
anxieties, the same way of thinking and the same attitudes to life. After all we developed
each other, we were integral to the formation of who we eventually became, you cannot
50
forgot those people.
What kinds of primary school teachers will impress students?

I think that the sorts of school teacher that will impress students is the sort that can
perform well in front of people. A teacher that is entertaining, or that can bring the
information they are imparting to life. The best teachers I ever had were the ones that
obviously loved to teach and had a flare for communicating information in a fun and
exciting way. That’s one quality. Another quality that will impress students is the ability
to be empathetic and compassionate and stern all at once; the sort of teacher that can
command a room and frighten children into behaving but who can also show how much
they care for each and every student, I think that this is a really impressive quality that
young children respond to.
聪明解决问题的人
Describe a person who gave a clever solution to a problem.
You should say
Who this person is
What the problem was
How he/she solved it
And explain why you think it was a clever solution
My friend Tim gave me a clever solution to a problem I had. Without Tim’s help, I
would not have been able to get rid of the problem at all I think. Tim was a smart guy for
sure, he helped me out greatly and I am grateful to him. I was having trouble with my
phone because it was slow at charging. I shopped around but couldn’t find the right
power input I needed to make it charge up faster. Because of this issue, I barely used my
phone at all just in case it lost power. Tim advised me to follow some charge cycles and
also asked me to change the phone charger. I never thought about doing this, and
surprisingly it worked! Tim is a friend of mine who works in IT. I usually go to him
when I need help with electronics. Needless to say, having issues with my phone was
devastating, we rely so much on our phones these days. Tim understood when I told him
and offered clever and sound advice almost immediately. He asked me to change the
charging adapter and also to install an app to alter the charge cycle. It was really a clever
and useful solution to my problem, without it I probably would have had to buy a new
phone altogether. I’m grateful to Tim, he came through then just as he always does.
Part 3
Do you think children are born with certain degree of cleverness? Or their intelligence
can be nurtured?
I think that both ideas are true to an extent. I think that certainly, though I don’t know for
sure, that children are born with different levels of intelligence and affinities for certain
things. I’m not a scientist but this seems reasonable enough to me. From very early on in
life, precocious children stand out without having been pushed to excel any more than
their peers. However, certainly as kids get older their nurturing becomes more and more
51
important. Many children who were averagely intelligent when they were very young
begin to excel as they reach junior high and high school because their nurturing has
inculcated a bunch of skills that are important for the learning process and for discipline.
What can school do to students’ intellectual development?

Schools are designed to be comprehensive systems that constantly encourage children to
learn, discover and engage in critical thinking. From start to finish, there is a certain
amount of pressure exerted on kids in schools in order to test their minds and foster their
creativity. We take school for granted and assume that all children are naturally getting
smarter, with school being almost incidental, but the truth is the opposite. Without
school, children’s brains, their intellectual curiosity would never bloom; imagine a child
who never attended school, imagine how much time it would be easy for them to waste
sitting around at home. The resources available in school are an invaluable tool for
intellectual growth.
Why do you think some people are really good at something?

I think that often people have a natural affinity for something, sometimes a child will
pick up an instrument and learn to play it with next to no effort. Other people have a
natural affinity for languages and pick up multiple languages without much exertion at
all. But while this is the case from time to time, usually the reason some people are
really good at something is because they have worked incredibly hard to cultivate that
skill. Often times we forget this, we see a man seemingly effortlessly playing the guitar
on a street corner and we assume that he must have a natural knack for it, when in fact
almost certainly that man has practiced tirelessly for a long time in order to perform the
way that he does.
Why do different kinds of intelligence are needed in this modern society?

We need different kinds of intelligence because our societies are multi-varied and
complex; if every person was intelligent but only when it came to pure mathematics then
society would inevitably hit a slump, because societies need more than just pure maths to
solve problems and create prosperity. Intelligent engineers can design sound building
structure but they need an architect to design the layout and look, they need an artist to
design the interior, they need meteorologists and geologists to figure out how feasible a
structure would be in the place the engineer wants it built; they need consultants and
financiers to ensure that the building gets started and they need construction workers to
build it. These differing type of intelligence are all important in building a building or a
society.
有趣的外国人
Describe a foreign person who you have heard or known that you think is interesting
You should say
Who the person is
What kind of person she/he is
52
And explain why you think he/she is interesting

There is a person who lives near me who is from Germany. His name is Hans and he
works as an engineer for a German company that has factories in China. Hans is 40 years
old and lives in China with his wife and three children. He has two girls and a boy, the
girls are twins aged 7 and the boy is age 9. Hans has lived in China for the past 3 years
and says that he enjoys it very much. Hans is really interesting I think because he always
has something interesting to say about any topic; be it politics, art, history or science, he
is very well read. On top of that, Hans can speak several languages; German, of course;
English, Chinese, Spanish and Japanese. He has spent several years abroad working at
various factories around the world for his company. He tells me that he likes China the
most so far. He enjoys the relaxed atmosphere and he likes the people. He loves drinking
beer and so most nights we will go out together to the bar and have plenty to drink! He
tells me that all Germans love drinking beer, and watching him I believe it! To me, Hans
is one of the most interesting people in my area; he is fun, funny, a bit crazy and super
interesting. I hope that he can live here in China for as long as possible so that he can
continue being my friend.
Part 3
Do you have any foreign friends and do you think having foreign friends is a good way
to know other countries?
I have a few foreign friends, but not many. It is difficult to get to know foreign people,
because often there is a language barrier; but not just a language barrier, there is also a
cultural barrier. I think it is important to try and make as many foreign friends as
possible so as to be able to break down this cultural barrier. In answer to your question I
would say yes definitely, having foreign friends is a great way to learn about other
countries; foreigners can teach you about their country’s history, about its people and
about their ways of thinking. They can teach you stuff about a place that you cannot
learn anywhere else.
Do you think it is important to know the culture and language before going to another
country?
It depends on what you are going for. If you are going there for a job because your
company wants you to manage a factory there or run an office then maybe learning
another language or culture isn’t necessary because you are going there not to ingratiate
yourself with the country but to apply your home-grown expertise; however, even in this
case it might be a good idea to learn about the culture and language simply for your own
personal enjoyment and benefit. If you are going to another country to travel or to study
then I think that learning about the culture is very important and the same goes for the
language.
What do you think of people who work in international companies?

I feel very jealous of them to tell you the truth! I think it is a wonderful opportunity to be
able to work for an international company, especially one that allows you to travel all
over the world. But, although I am jealous of their ability to travel abroad and experience
new things, I am not jealous of their work schedules or of the demands put on them by
their superiors. I am sure that working for an international company must be very
53
stressful sometimes because the standards must be very high indeed. Like any job there
are ups and downs. The up is the ability to move around, and the down is that you must
work incredibly hard to succeed.
What abilities do people need to have when working in an international company?

Well, I suppose the first thing that comes to mind is the ability to speak a second
language. If you are an American wishing to work for a company that has factories in
China then it is important that you learn how to speak Chinese, should the need arise for
you to go to China to run operations there. Another ability you must have is the ability to
deal with stressful situations well. Many international companies have incredibly high
standards and so the people they hire must have the ability to work hard and work well
under pressure. A person working for an international company must also be receptive to
change, international companies can change their operations in the blink of an eye.
友好对待不喜欢的人的经历
Describe a time you were friendly to someone you didn’t like
You should say
When and where it happened
Who he/she was
Why you didn’t like this person
And explain why you were friendly to him/her on that occasion
I remember I went to a dinner party once with a bunch of friends. The dinner party had
been arranged by another friend of mine from high school; him and his girlfriend had
recently moved into a new home and wanted to invite people over to see the home and to
have a nice evening together. I went there with two or three friends, all of them high
school friends, at around 7pm on the night; we took with us some wine and some fruit as
a gift for the new homeowners. Once we got inside I looked around to see if I recognized
anyone else. There were several people from my old high school, some old friends, some
people I didn’t know so well. I went into the kitchen and saw Kevin, he was someone
else I knew from high school, but he was not a friend to me at all. He was something of a
bully in school. And he picked on me mercilessly for two or three years. Not just me,
Kevin was pretty awful to many kids at my school. I hated him then. Later though I
found out that around that time his mother had passed away and that he a pretty bad
relationship with his father. Even though I was angry at him for treating me badly at
school, I knew it wasn’t all his fault and that I needed to be patient with him. When I
saw him that night I was very friendly and polite.
Part 3
Why are people friendly with the person they don’t like?
Sometimes people work with people they don’t particularly like and so they have to be
friendly with them so that it doesn’t affect their work. Oftentimes we meet people we
don’t usually like, like at a mutual friend’s party or at a family reunion and we are
friendly and polite with them, not because we want to be, but because acting cold or
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aggressive or unfriendly would just make an uncomfortable situation for the other people
there. Unless there is a very serious problem you have with someone then I think that for
the most part it’s better just to be polite in public situations than to make an unnecessary
fuss.
What kinds of people are usually friendly?

It’s an interesting question, I think that most people are usually friendly; right? Most of
us are well socialized and know how to communicate well with other people, we enjoy
to make other people smile and laugh, we enjoy to elicit reciprocal happy feelings in
others. I think a better way to answer your question is to think of kinds of people who
are not usually friendly instead. So I guess people who are not friendly are people who
have experienced trauma in their past, maybe they are generally mistrustful of people
and thus not friendly; maybe people whose job it is to not be friendly, like a club
bouncer, or a bodyguard, or prosecution lawyer might not seem friendly very often.
What are the differences between being friendly and being polite?
I think that they are similar; people who are friendly are usually polite, and people who
are polite are usually friendly. Though I suppose sometimes people who are friendly can
be gregarious or bombastic, highly confident and even arrogant, which means that while
they are very friendly and engaging and personable, they might not be polite because
they might appear loud or abrasive perhaps. Sometimes people who are being polite are
not friendly; they affect a sort of perfunctory politeness, in which they say and do the
bare minimum necessary to interact in a socially acceptable way, but maybe they don’t
smile very much and maybe they offer terse responses and appear somewhat aloof.
What do you think of the people who are always straightforward?

It depends on the situation. Sometimes someone who is always straightforward can seem
insensitive. For example, if something bad has happened to someone, say they have lost
their job, then a straightforward person might make the situation worse by offering sober
truths where they’re not needed. He might say that everyone loses their job eventually,
and that other people have it worse, and that you mustn’t feel sorry for yourself, etc. Etc.
Sometimes though straightforward people are a breath of fresh air, it’s so nice
sometimes to have someone there who is direct and who won’t mince their words or
offer up banal cliches and platitudes. Direct people are usually more honest and therefore
trustworthy.
为家人感到骄傲的时刻
Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member
You should say
When it happened
Who the person is
What the person did
And explain why you felt proud of him/her
I was and am really proud of my sister. My sister suffered from kidney dysplasia
55
growing up and had to undergo treatment for two kidney transplants. When she was 15
years old she was on a lot of medication to prevent her from dying as a result of this
disease. She often had to miss school, she lost tons of weight, she suffered with
depression. It was a really unhappy time in her life, and this was before the first
transplant. After the transplant things were even worse, the medication doubled and so
did the trips to the hospital. My sister was constantly sick around that time and could
barely focus on her personal life or her studies. Her body eventually rejected the kidney
that had been transplanted and she had to have a second transplant. At age 17, she had
the second transplant and then undertook a terrible medication regimen that left her weak
and unhappy. Despite all this, and despite the disruption she kept up her studies and went
on to pass her high school exams with flying colors. I am so proud of her and I don’t
know how she managed to do it. She was on death’s door for two whole years and still
managed to outperform many of her classmates. She then went on to a great school in
America and has made more or less a full recovery. She is truly an inspiration to me, she
never once let her illness ruin her life.
Part 3
When would parents feel proud of their children?
I think that parents should feel proud of their children always. Proud to see them having
fun, proud to see them excel in school, proud to see them grow up and make friends. Of
course, as parents, people can take extreme pride in their children when they do
something particularly extraordinary, but I don’t think that that means we should reserve
pride just for those types of situations. Parental pride isn’t a limited resource after all. It
can be given over and over and over again. Showing pride in your children will boost a
child’s confidence and will encourage them to pursue newer and more difficult tasks.
Should parents reward children? Why and how?

Yes. I think that rewarding children is a great way to encourage them to continue doing
positive things for themselves. There are two ways to motivate children, you can either
praise and reward them or you can punish and discipline them. Of course, both are
necessary tools for a good parent. But the question is how much of each should be doled
out and when. Rewards should be given when kids do something good, but not just
anything, they’re not dogs after all! But when they do something really good, something
that took a lot of time and effort; kids should also be rewarded when they do something
altruistic, because this, I feel, is a quality that needs to be constantly reinforced.
Is it good to reward children too often? Why?

No. I think that rewarding children too often is a mistake, a mistake that many parents
make simply because it is easier for them. Rewarding a child often makes them think
that they deserve rewards for doing nothing, that they are special and that things will
come to them easily. This is a bad attitude to have and may lead to problems of
entitlement later in life. Many parents reward their children too much because they love
them and want to show them that they love them and also because giving a child a
reward, say a toy or candy, is a great way to make them behave for a little while or be
quiet. Unfortunately like I said, this sort of lazy parenting will ultimately create more
long term problems than it solves.
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On what occasions would adults be proud of themselves?

I think adults should be proud of themselves in the same way that children feel pride. If
an adult achieves something that took time and dedication then that is worthy of self-
pride. If you lose a certain amount of weight, or if you write a novel, or if you teach
yourself a difficult skill then feeling a certain of pride is absolutely normal. Recently, I
taught myself to play the guitar, I am still not the best obviously, but I have taught
myself several chords and songs and I feel as though this is a real achievement, thus I
feel a genuine sense of pride. I think also adults will often feel a sense of pride if they
have children, children often do things that make their parents swell with pride.
艰难的决定
Describe a difficult decision that you once made
You should say
What the decision was
When you made your decision
How long it took to make the decision
And explain why it was difficult to make
I once had to make a really difficult decision involving my job. This was around 3 years ago, I
was working as an accountant for a supermarket chain near my hometown. I have always been
good with numbers and so this job suited me perfectly. I had worked there for several months,
nearly a year, and was doing really well; my boss was giving me bonuses and offering to
increase my salary the following year. I was really happy there, things were going well for me.
Then, something happened that threw everything into disarray! Nothing bad exactly - the
opposite in fact - just something that was to cause a lot of headaches going forward. Another
firm had heard about my performance for the supermarket and was interested in hiring me. They
were initially insistent on talking to me, asking me for an interview every day, paying me
compliments, trying to get me to come to their office. It was overwhelming to be honest.
Eventually I caved and went in to see what they had to say. Turns out that they were (and are) a
much bigger firm than I realized and during the interview, they told me that they were desperate
for an new, young accountant to run the books for them. They offered me a huge salary with
plenty of benefits right there and then! I was flabbergasted! My preexisting job was great and I
loved every second of it, but the salary of the new job was huge! In the end I decided to take the
new job, it was a tough decision, but I’m glad I made it.
Part 3
What decisions do people usually make in their daily lives?
People have to make all sorts of decisions in their daily lives, but often small and
inconsequential decisions, sort of micro-decisions if you like! These sorts of decisions are things
like deciding what to buy from the supermarket that day (this is mostly inconsequential because
whether or not one decides to shop for a lot or for a little that day makes little difference
ultimately), deciding what to do at the gym that day, or deciding what to eat for breakfast, lunch
and dinner. These decisions will make a small impact that day but won’t ultimately shape the
direction of your life beyond an even trajectory.
Which is easier, making a decision by yourself or making a decision after group
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discussion?
They say that a camel is a horse designed by committee. This aphorism means that if too many
people are involved in the decision making process then the end result will be malformed in
some way. This is because a committee (or a group) tends to complicate the process of deciding
something; because each person has a say, a say that may well conflict with someone else’s. So
generally I would say that making decisions alone is easier than making decisions in a group,
though tough decisions may benefit from multiple insights. Travelling with friends gives you an
idea of how painful group decisions can be, everyone conflicts and it takes a long time to reach a
mutual consensus.
Why are many young people unwilling to follow their parents’ advice?
I think that young people have a built in impulse to rebel against their parents or their elders or
their superiors. This may be part of the growing process, after all growing up is about reaching a
stage where you are no longer reliant on your parents, a stage where you are autonomous and
where you control those below you. If young people stick rigidly to their parent’s advice then
they will never learn to become self-productive, they will never learn how to regulate their own
lives. As very young children we follow blindly every piece of advice our parents give us, but as
we age we begin to develop our own unique voice. Once that voice has matured and crystallized
we begin to follow our parent’s advice again.
Why would middle-aged people tend to second-guess their own decisions?

I guess as we reach middle-age we have less options in life; many doors are open to us when we
are young, we have the time and the energy to make mistakes. This is why young people are
often capricious and impulsive, they can get away with it precisely because they are young.
Middle aged and old people, however, cannot make these same mistakes because the time it
takes to remedy a mistake is more keenly felt when your options are more limited. This is why
middle aged people second guess their own decisions I think, they have to be careful and more
methodical in their approach to formulating final decisions.
等待特殊事件发生
Describe a time when you waited for something special that would happen
You should say
What you waited for
Where you waited
Why it was special
And explain how you felt while you were waiting
I once got very excited for something and had to wait a very long time for it to happen. Some
friends and I had decided that we would use the next summer to travel abroad. We had decided
that Southeast Asia would be perfect. It’s not too far, it’s fairly cheap and it’s supposed to be a
wonderful and exciting place to visit. Anyway, we had penciled the trip in for the following
summer - after we had drawn up the plans. I was so excited, I had never travelled abroad before
and had never really experienced much in terms of adventure. The wait for the summer seemed
to last an eternity, I was busy studying but even so I could barely contain my excitement nor
could I stop thinking about the trip and all that we would do. My friends felt the same, we are all
the same age and grew up under more or less the same circumstances, and so they too waited
eagerly and impatiently. I tried to keep myself as busy as possible during the months leading up
to the summer; I took swimming lessons, I worked hard on my studies, I visited family often;
anything to take my mind off of the trip. I knew the trip would be amazing because I had heard
58
so many good things about Thailand and Vietnam and I was excited to experience the ups and
downs of travelling around Burma, Laos and Cambodia. The wait was excruciating! I hated it,
time seemed to drag; but, at the same time the building anticipation was strangely satisfying,
especially when the trip finally came around.
Part 3
On what occasions do people usually need to wait?
People need to wait for lots of things, in fact a large portion of our lives are spent waiting for
things. As kids we need to wait to grow up, wait for our test results, wait for affirmation from
our elders; As adults, we need to wait for that promotion, or wait for that once-in-a-lifetime trip
we have been planning, or wait for that special someone to come into our lives. On a less lofty
note, people have to wait for all sorts of things day-to-day; if people commute to work they often
need to wait patiently for their train in the morning. If people are sick, then they need to spend
long periods of time in the hospital waiting for test results.
Who behave better when waiting, children or adults?

I think that the answer to that question is fairly obvious! Children are notoriously impatient,
notoriously capricious and notoriously petulant - especially when they are waiting for something.
Waiting in line at the theme park with children can be exhausting; visiting a friend with your
child in tow can be a nightmare; waiting for food to be brought to your table at a restaurant with
your son or daughter can be hellish. This is because children haven’t developed a sense of
patience, their world is far more insular, far more selfish; if they want something then they want
it as soon as possible. Adults by comparison behave far better when waiting.
Compared to the past, are people less patient now? Why？

Yes, I would say that people are far less patient today than in the past. This is because life moves
so much quicker than it did 50 years ago. Technology has rapidly advanced such that the pace of
movement and the pace of the dispersal of information has increased exponentially. If we need to
get information we can access it near-instantaneously; if we want to travel to the other side of the
province, or country, or world we can do so in next to no time at all, comparatively speaking. On
top of this, the things we consume these days are geared towards short attention-spans; we
consume 5 second TikTok videos, or quick news bulletins, or banal finger-tip factoids. No one
has time to read or to stop and smell the roses these days.
What are the positive and negative effects of waiting on society?

For those of us that need to wait regularly I am sure that there are some positive effects. For
example, it teaches us restraint and patience, which in turn probably helps us with inter-personal
relationships at work and at home. Negative effects might include boredom, or a sense of
wastage perhaps. If society has to do a lot of waiting, say the area has poor infrastructure or poor
worker efficiency, then that probably will have a negative effect on the economy or on the
general well-being of that society. Waiting after all is wastage. Those minutes, or hours could
better be spent on doing something productive. But, even in highly efficient societies waiting is a
necessary waste.
搬到新家/学校的经历
Describe a time when you moved to a new home or school
59
You should say

When it happened
Where you moved
Why you moved
And explain how you felt about it
I remember when I was around 10 years old, my father had received a promotion conditional on
him moving to a new city. My family had always been very closely knit; my mother and father
have always loved each other very much and my father has always paid very close attention to
my sister and I. Every day my father would take us to the park or take us for ice cream or to the
cinema. We’re older now and so we don’t do these things as often, but still, the point is that
growing up my father was a very dutiful and kind care-giver. Because of this, my father didn’t
want to move to a new place without the family; he knew he had to take the promotion because it
was too much of a career opportunity to pass up. So, he decide he would move the whole family
to the new city with him! We had always lived in the same city, the same home in fact, up until
then, and so the move was nerve-wracking for all of us, especially my mother who was a rather
parochially-minded, conservative woman. Nevertheless, she was and is always supportive of my
father and supported the move unreservedly. I remember driving 4 hours to the new city with a
caravan of trucks filled with our stuff following us. The new city was bigger and everything felt
different. My new school was bigger and my new neighbourhood was densely packed and
confusing. The move was scary, but eventually I learned to cope; Now I’m happy we moved!
Part 3
Why do people move to a new home?
I guess there are all sorts of reasons that people move to a new home, good and bad. A new
promotion at work, conditional on the employee moving, might be one such reason; a new and
better job is a common reason for people moving. Many people from the countryside choose to
leave their lives on the farm to find work and better opportunities in the city. This is common in
China. Another common reason people move is because they are growing up and no longer need
or want to live with their families. Many young people grow up in their parents homes but
eventually move, either to study or for work or to start raising their own family. It’s a natural
part of life.
What problems will people face after moving to a new place?How do people solve these
problems?
I think that many people feel a sense of anxiety when they move. It’s always nerve-wracking
trying a new experience, or worse, immersing yourself entirely in a new experience; this latter
move is what moving to a new place is and the unfamiliarity we feel when we make this move
can be overwhelming. To solve this problem it is important to maintain, at least initially, some
ties to your original home; keep contact with your friends and family based around your old
home and maintain habits that you had prior to the move. A new place can often feel isolating
and lonely because we have to start building friendships from scratch. To remedy this, one must
be proactive in building new friendships.
Is it good to move to a new place frequently? Why？

For some people, it’s good. For others, it isn’t. Some people, often referred to as extroverts,
enjoy new experiences and enjoy moving around often. The challenges presented in this case are
welcomed by extroverts; making new friends, trying new experiences and overcoming new
hardships are challenges that extroverts relish. Introverts, on the other hand, the opposite to
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extroverts, the kinds of people that are shy and who don’t respond well to new challenges should
not move to a new place frequently as this will make them feel lonely and isolated and
overwhelmed. It all depends on your personality type as to whether or not frequent moves are a
good thing or not.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the same place?
Living in the same place for a long time has many benefits. Firstly, you get to the know the place
very well and thus things become easier to do. You know where the relevant shops are if you
have a particular problem, you know the best routes to people’s homes and to the best restaurants,
you know where the best supermarkets are and where the best haunts are for you and your
friends. On friends, staying in the same place has the added advantage of helping you to maintain
deep ties and long lasting friendships. The disadvantages are that you miss out on opportunities
that are happening in different places and you might miss out on the excitement that comes with
trying new experiences.
做过的一件困难的事情
Describe a difficult thing you did
You should say
What it was
How you did/completed it
Why it was difficult
And how you felt about doing it
I once agreed to cycle around the China for a charity. Not all of China obviously. But a large
portion of it. To be specific, I agreed to cycle from the center of Changsha all the way to
Chengdu in Sichuan. No easy feat let me tell you! The fundraiser was for a Cancer Society
charity that I had worked for as a temporary worker one summer. The place had really inspired
me, it was amazing to see the tireless work that people there do day after day. To give back to
the company - because of everything they had taught me - I decided to undertake this challenge.
I got the idea from a friend of mine who had been planning a similar trip, from Xining to Lhasa.
To prepare for the trip I bought a lot of materials that might be useful; band-aids, bandages,
disinfectant, biking gear, proper shoes, a decent bike (obviously) and so on. For several weeks, I
practiced cycling by cycling around my local lake several times in a day and trying to improve
my speed every time. After about 12 weeks, I began the trip. Boy! was it difficult! After the first
day of cycling my thighs were burning and I was completely exhausted. I thought that I would
never be able to muster the strength to be able to cycle the next day. But, after a long rest, I was
okay and the following day I cycled another 90 km and continued this pace more or less for the
entire journey. It was really difficult, physically and emotionally. But I’m glad I did it, it was a
good challenge and it was for a good cause.
Part 3
What kinds of jobs require people to be confident?
I think that many jobs require you to be confident, most jobs in fact. The jobs that do not require
confidence are things like basic manual labour jobs; factory workers, garbage disposal jobs and
cleaners. Every other type of job requires at least a bit of confidence. For example, any kind of
service job requires the worker to interact with a customer meaning that a certain level of
confidence is needed to be able to reassure the customer. Even supermarket employees must be
able to interact confidently with shoppers in order to make them feel comfortable. Some jobs
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require a lot of confidence; jobs like acting, or being the head of a company, jobs where you
either need to command a lot of people, or perform in front of a lot of people.
On what occasions should children be encouraged? How?

Children should be encouraged most of the time. Most children want to explore new ideas or
create something or find something and these behaviors should always be encouraged because
they promote confidence and creativity. Only bad behaviors should be discouraged by parents.
Children should be encouraged by being praised constantly by their parents, they should also be
encouraged by being led by their parents. By this, I mean that children learn from experience and
also that they mimic behaviors they see around them. So a good way to encourage children to
read is by reading often yourself. Your child will see this behaviour from you and will want to
engage in it themselves.
How do you help children stay focused?

Keeping a child’s attention can be difficult. Children are easily excited and also they get bored
very easily. Making sure a child stays focused on a task is similarly difficult. The best way I
think to maintain focus is to redirect a child’s attention, not away from the task at hand, but
away from the way in which the task is being performed. For example, if a child needs to focus
on their homework then as a parent, you can help alleviate their boredom by redirecting the
thought processes for a particular question, by using pictures, or videos, or by changing the room.
Things like this can help a child to stave off boredom and to stay focused because they will feel
as though the task isn’t so tedious.
What challenges do young people face today?

Children face many challenges today. Standards are so high in schools these days and are thus
ultra competitive. There is a demand now for international education and for international
standards, which means that there is often a huge amount of pressure for children to excel in
their studies. This can be hugely challenging, even for the smartest children in the country. As a
corollary, children have plenty of homework, examinations, extra-curricular classes and so on
that make life especially challenging growing up. Besides school there are many other challenges
that young people must face such as shrinking job prospects, a changing job market, a rapidly
changing society; these are all things that young people must adapt to as they grow up.
难学的技能
Describe a skill that was difficult for you to learn
You should say
When you learned it
Why you learned it
How you learned it
How you felt when you learned it
I’m not sure if this answer will count, only because I don’t think it would be fair to say that I
have completely learned this skill. But for the past several years I have been learning guitar and
in the last couple of years I feel as though I have made decent enough progress, such that I can
tell other people that I can play it. I started learning the guitar in 2013, eight years ago now,
because I got given a guitar as a gift from my girlfriend. I had always wanted to play an
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instrument and had hinted to my girlfriend several times that I would like to pick up the guitar at
some point. Anyway as soon as I got the guitar I set to work organizing lessons with a teacher
and also tinkering with the guitar myself at home. I quickly realized that learning to play the
guitar is far more difficult then I ever could have guessed before picking it up. For starters, being
able to play a chord is tricky, it’s not just about arranging your fingers in the right way, it’s also
about pressing hard enough to make a nice and clean sound when you strum the guitar strings.
Even this seemingly simple step takes weeks to master. Eventually I started having lessons twice
a week on top of solo practicing sessions at home. After about 4 years my guitar playing had
gotten decent enough to be able to perform for friends and family, but even then it was far from
proficient. Learning guitar is a difficult and protracted process.
Part 3
What skills do students need to master?
I’m not sure that students need to master any skills. The most important lesson for students is
that they strive for success and do the very best they can. If they try their hardest to master a skill
and cannot (or at the very least cannot seem to make progress) then it is important to let the
student know that working hard for something is it’s own reward and that mastering something
is not the only way to measure success. There are certain skills that students should all try and
strive to have, such as time management skills - which are vital for revision and for study later in
life and reading and writing which are both fundamental to education.
Is it hard for students to learn new skills?

It depends on the skill; some skills are vital for education and are inculcated at a very young age.
Things like reading and writing. These skills are, for the most part, easy enough to learn, insofar
as they are near universally acquired eventually by students. Other skills such as playing the
guitar or mastering a language or acing tests are far more difficult to learn and only the very best
students will be able to learn all or any of them. It should be said that as young people students
are in a prime position to be able to pick up skills, they are the right environment and their brains
are ripe for picking up skills, so it should be easier for them than adults.
Is it hard for old people to learn new skills?

I think that acquiring new information and picking up new skills is far harder for old people than
for young people. Young people have the added advantages of being young for one (meaning
that their brains are more malleable and more receptive to new information) and of being in a
suitable environment for picking up skills for another (i.e. they go to school every day). For
older people their lives are much busier, they have hectic work schedules, kids to look after,
mortgages to pay; plus, their brains are not as supple as when they were younger, thus for them
learning a new skill is comparatively much, much harder, though not impossible of course.
Is a good teacher very important for students’ learning experience? Why?

Yes I think so. A good teacher vs. a bad teacher makes all of the difference to the quality of a
child’s education. Certain subjects such as maths and history are near-universally seen as boring
and dry by students, for whatever reason. It is up to a good teacher to bring these subjects to life
to make students enthusiastic for learning them. Maths class can be hell for some students, it is
overly complicated and extremely dry; a good teacher will be able to turn these qualities on their
head by breaking down the information in easily digestible ways and by introducing some fun
into the classroom. This may make the difference between a student learning a subject or not.
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想学的感兴趣的技能
Describe something that you are interested to learn or improve
You should say
What it is
How you will learn or improve it
Why you are interest in it
And explain how you feel about learning it
I have always wanted to learn how to play the piano. I can play the guitar fairly well and have
been practising it for several years but I feel as though it would be good to take on a new
challenge completely. Learning the piano would feel like a fresh start, everything would be new
and challenging; this is something I found interesting when I first picked up the guitar. I have
wanted to play the piano for a few years now because my uncle is in fact an accomplished piano
player, which is something I never realized until very recently. Actually, when my uncle was
much younger he played the piano professionally, and in a regional sense he’s very famous, or at
least he is to the older generation. He would travel from town to town with a band and play all
sorts of music from classical to jazz, he was really successful. Anyway, one day whilst I was at
his home we started talking about music, I told him I was learning the guitar and that I was really
enjoying it. He told me to follow him to the upstairs spare room; I did, and once inside he
showed me his old piano; he dusted it off and began to play some old songs. It was really special,
before that time I hadn’t had much of a relationship with my uncle, he just seemed like a run-of-
the-mill laid-back relative. But once he started playing, a whole new level of respect and
admiration welled up in me. I was inspired from that day to learn the piano one day myself. I
guess if I really want to start learning I need to start taking lessons - oh and I need to buy a piano!
Part 3
Is it hard for adults to continue learning? Why?
I think that learning gets harder for adults as they age, this is because their brains are no longer
as malleable and absorbent as when they were kids. Children go through a critical learning
period during which time they are primed to pick up and learn new information and skills, this is
why school is so vital at a young age and why it is so formative; the skills the children learn are
carried along for the rest of their lives. Adults simply do not have this capacity to retain
information. On top of this adults lead busier lives than children, they have far more
responsibilities; they have busy jobs, families, mortgages and other stressful distractions that
affect their ability to continue learning.
Is it the government’s responsibility to assist people to learn?

Yes I think it is. The government should be the sole body responsible for education. I do not
think that privatized education is a good idea; I think that for-profit institutions will always
pursue profit to the detriment of everything else, including education. Therefore the onus is on
the government to ensure that people learn and receive good educations. Without education
economies and societies will fall by the wayside as other nations with functioning education
systems will thrive because they are better equipped to deal with problems and to innovate. The
government should assist people in learning absolutely!
What are the differences between education in the past and now?
I think that education is far more streamlined and effective than in the past. Pedagogy, the study
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of education, is a rapidly advancing science, and it has made many forward strides since people
began to study it. Pedagogists have shown that encouraging critical thinking and creativity are
vital to ensuring that children receive a decent education; furthermore, they have shown that too
much of something and too little of other things create learning imbalances that have been
rectified in recent years. A testament to the improvements made to education in recent years is
the levels of average IQs globally, which have grown exponentially in the past several decades.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning?

I guess the main advantage to distance learning is the convenience. If a child cannot make it to
school or the school cannot be opened (say because of a pandemic), then distance learning is a
great way to overcome this problem. Distance learning has the advantage of being available
under most circumstances meaning that it is available to more children more often. (Unless there
is a power outage). The major disadvantage of distance learning, as I see it, is that the quality
will never be as good as face to face learning; students cannot directly ask questions to their
teachers, teachers cannot directly monitor participation and attention, and classes cannot be as
dynamic, multi-media projects are unavailable during a distance learning class.
享受到的好服务
Describe a good service you received
You should say
What the service was
When you received it
Who you were with
I once went to stay in a hotel in Hefei; I was there as part of a study group of students
doing research near the city. We had been tasked with writing up an agricultural study of
rice farmed in the region, nearby the north end of the city. In order to complete the task
several other students and I had to live in Hefei for just over a week. The university
arranged the hotel for us and so we weren’t expecting anything special, just a roof and a
bed. To our surprise the hotel was a 5-star luxury resort complete with a pool and a gym!
Unfortunately we didn’t really have the time to take advantage of most of the things on
offer; however, I bring it up because of something in particular I remember about the
experience. The staff at the hotel were amazing! They were incredibly polite and patient
and helpful. One member of staff even saw to my things personally and made sure that I
felt satisfied with every aspect of my stay from start to finish. The reason I remember so
distinctly the service being so good is that I was not expecting it in any way! We were
they to study rice fields and I ended up having one of the most comfortable trips of my
life simply because of the kind service. I often look back fondly on my time there, it was
a great experience.
Part 3
What do you think of the relationship between companies and customers?
I think that the lifeblood of any business is it’s relationship with it’s customers. If
customers feel insulted or belittled by the staff at a company then they will not want to
use their services in future, and on top of that disgruntled customers may tell other
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people of their negative experience, which will dissuade potential future customers from
using the service. This is especially true nowadays because of online forums and rating
systems that allow potential customers to read up on a company’s reputation with
preexisting customers. They say that the customer is always right, and the reason they
say this is because the customer (as a collective) has the power to shut off a company’s
lights, for good.
As a customer, what kinds of services would you expect to receive from a company?
Well it depends entirely on what the company is and does. If it’s a retail company then I
expect the employees of the company to direct me to the best and most salient product
for my particular needs. If it’s a restaurant then I want the employees there to take my
orders for food and drink and to address any problems I may have with the order or with
my surroundings. I think in general consumers desire polite customer service, this is true
across all industries. If a retail company has great products but poor customer service
then many shoppers will not continue to shop there. If a restaurant has rude waiters then
people may feel dissuaded from eating there in the future.
What kinds of jobs involve coping with the public?

Most kinds of service jobs require people doing them to cope with the public. A waiter at
a restaurant must deal with hordes of customers day in day out; a bank clerk must deal
with customer complaints all of the time; a retail worker must help customers to shop by
helping them to pick items and by tilling their purchases. The police must deal with the
public on a routine basis, in fact a police officer is there specifically and exclusively to
serve the public and the same goes for government officials, fire marshals, doctors and
nurses. Of these, perhaps nurses and doctors have to cope with the public’s problems on
the most regular basis.
Why should companies react quickly when customers have difficulties?

It is important that companies react as quickly as possible to a customer complaint or
else that complaint my gain traction with other customers who will feel collectively
insulted by the company’s inability to resolve the problem. The longer a problem lingers
the more it will fester. Customers have the ability to cause a raucous if they feel slighted
by ringing up headquarters, or by campaigning against the company if they feel that their
inadequacy equates to malpractice. The lifeblood of any company is customer
satisfaction, if a company cannot ensure that their customers are satisfied, and if they
cannot assuage a customer that has been wronged, then their business will suffer
drastically.
朋友有的自己想要养成的习惯
Describe a habit your friend has and you want to develop
You should say
Who your friend is
What habit she/he has
When you noticed this habit
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And explain why you want to develop this habit

My friend Tim has always been really neat and tidy. I met him during my time at
university; we met for the first time in our halls of residence, where both of us would be
living that year. Tim and I realized that we would be living together in the same share-
room, with two other guys. Luckily, the room was quite spacious and so we had enough
room to keep to ourselves and to not disturb others too much. Anyway, during the course
of the first year I realized that I am quite a messy and disorganized person; living at
home with my parents I had never realized because for one they were very tidy and
organized, and for another they both made sure that I cleaned up after myself. Once they
were no longer on top of me my good habits fell by the wayside. My friend Tim
conversely is extremely neat, within a few weeks it was clear that he was very particular
about cleanliness and about structure. Every morning he would make his bed and dust
off his area of the room. Moreover, when the rest of us were out Tim would clean up our
messes too, if we had made any. Tim had a bulletin board next to his bed complete with
a hand-written schedule and plenty of organized post-it note reminders. At first I thought
that this level of organization was too much, and honestly I thought that Tim was a little
strange; but now I realize that these were really good and beneficial habits that I wish I
had!
Part 3
What habits should children have?
Children should be taught to be as autonomous as possible. They should be taught the
value of tidiness and cleanliness and of looking after oneself. These lessons will translate
into valuable habits that will be especially important later in life. So, if a child is
educated in this way then they may have the habit of cleaning their room every morning.
This is a great habit to have because it structures their day from the moment they wake
up. Another habit that they will have is being orderly, this will mean that they are better
behaved in school and that they do their homework on time and things like that.
What should parents do to teach their children good habits?

Parents should take a two-track approach to educating kids. Firstly they should reinforce
constantly the lessons they want to instill in their kids, through daily reminders and
through a process of reward-giving and punishments. This will help steer a child in the
right direction with regards to having the habits that a parent wants them to have. The
second approach is to instill good habits by leading by example. In other words, children
are like sponges and they will absorb ideas and habits best when they are directly
confronted with them. If a parent has good habits then their child should follow, so for
example reading daily in front of a child is a good way to get them to follow.
What influences do children with bad habits have on other children?

I think that that depends on the circumstances. For example naughty children can have a
negative influence on other kids; however, good and bad behaviour starts at home, if a
child is neglected at home or punished too severely then they will exhibit bad behaviors
in school as a result. Children who are nurtured in a friendly and loving environment at
home will invariably exhibit kinder and more polite behaviors in school. Thus whilst
naughty children can have some influence on other kids by making them act out
occasionally, ultimately their habits will be dictated by their upbringing at home. If a
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child with bad habits influences another child then their conditions at home will dictate
how much influence the naughty child exerts.
Why do some habits change when people get older?

I think as humans we are constantly changing, we have these wonderfully dynamic
brains that can adapt to new experiences and change expectations depending on the
situation. As we get older our circumstances and our social circles change and these
changes exert some influences on our behavior. As a child we may feel quite isolated
because of the conditions of our upbringing and may be quiet and orderly; but, as we
grow up and and our circumstances change we may feel less isolated and a desire to
have fun and lead a less orderly life may prevail. Habits are pretty deeply instilled but
also they are subject to change depending on our life experiences.
令人激动的书
Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading
You should say
When you read it
What kind of book it is
What it is about
And explain why you think it is exciting
I read a really thrilling book recently called L.A. Confidential by novelist James Ellroy. I
picked up the book last month based on a recommendation by a friend. I have always
been interested in hard-boiled detective novels; Raymond Chandler and Dashiell
Hammett are two of my all-time favourite writers. I love the setting and the dialogue in
those kinds of novels, there’s something romantic and cool about them. Anyway, my
friend recommended James Ellroy after I told him about my love for hard-boiled
detective novels, I told him that I had read many of the classics already, such as The Big
Sleep, The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man and so he tried to recommend something a
little different. Jame Ellroy stands apart from Hammett and Chandler or James M. Cain
in that Ellroy was born much later than these writers (Hammett, Chandler and Cain were
all more or less contemporaries from the 1940’s), and his books are in a sense a sort of
baby-boomer generation pastiche of the classic hard-boiled detective novel with a more
modern twist. Because of this, Ellroy’s novels tend to be much more violent and grisly
than the hard-boiled detective novel of the 1930’s and 40’s. So, yes, my friend
recommended L.A. Confidential, a novel about several police officers who get
embroiled in a mix corruption and murder following a massacre of several people in a
cafe one night. It’s a really thrilling novel and I recommend it to everyone I can. It
portrays the seedy underbelly of LA society really well, that’s why I like it.
Part 3
Do you prefer books or movies?
I much prefer books to movies honestly. This is not to say that I don’t enjoy movies,
actually I enjoy them a lot. I just try to avoid watching them too often and prefer to read
instead because I feel as though reading is a more productive use of my time. Watching a
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movie is easy, you can relax and switch your brain off for an hour and a half, whereas
with a book you need to pay attention and focus; this is why not many people enjoy
reading these days. As for myself, I have learned to enjoy reading a lot, I find it relaxing
and mentally restorative; it’s leaves me feeling refreshed and proud of myself for having
used my time constructively.
Do you think it is very important to read the book before watching the movie version of
it?
No, not necessarily. Movies are not just made for the people who have read the books,
they’re made by people who want the story and characters from that book to reach a
wider audience. Books and movies are completely different mediums from one another;
books offer a chance for the reader to imagine for themselves the world constructed in a
written narrative, whereas movies are a spectacle, the narrative is shown to the viewer
through a range of audio and visual techniques. There’s no rule that says you must read
one narrative to be able to understand it’s visual adaptation; they’re completely different
forms and must be respected as individual products.
Do boys and girls like the same kinds of books?

Well, everyone is different and so I would hesitate to box an entire group of people into
general stereotypes. However, I would say that from my experience the girls I have
known have more or less had broadly similar interests to each other that stand in contrast
to the general tastes of my male friends and I. For example, my male friends and I enjoy
sci-fi and hard-boiled detective novels - grittier works that either involve a lot of action
and violence or that showcase the dark side of life in some way. My female friends have
generally preferred reading stories about magic (but also sci-fi) and romance novels.
Also too I have noticed that my female friends often have quite eclectic tastes in fiction
but near universally dislike non-fiction, whereas I and my male friends enjoy non-fiction.
What kinds of books do Chinese people like reading?

It’s difficult to say with any sort of precision, there are so many Chinese people and
tastes differ from city to city and region to region. My friends and I who live in and
around Changsha enjoy reading sci-fi fiction and fantasy novels, we enjoy the works of
writers such as Jiang Nan and Mao Ni. Xianxia novels are very popular in China, xianxia
is a form of fantasy that infuses elements of Taoism, martial arts and mythology into it.
For people in Shanghai perhaps tastes are more international and as such residents there
may feel more inclined to read international best-sellers, be they fiction or non-fiction.
People in larger cities may have a higher propensity for reading political works than
people who live in rural areas.
喜欢去的咖啡馆
Describe a cafe you like to visit
You should say
Where it is
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What kinds of food and drinks it serves

What you do there
And explain why you like to go there
There is a cafe just around the corner from where I live. It’s a nice little
boutique coffee shop with all sorts of interesting things on it’s walls. When
you step inside you are immediately hit with that soothing, aromatic smell
of coffee beans and exotic fragrance; when you step in a little further you
notice that the walls are covered with odd canvases that all conform to a sort
of warm colour palette, oranges, browns and reds. The overall effect makes
you feel calm and toasty, perfect for a cafe environment. The man who
owns the cafe is from Morocco and he tells me that Moroccan people love
their coffee! As such, he takes running a cafe very seriously. The smells and
the adornments on the walls are all by design he tells me. Beyond that he
has a range of different coffees; some from Morocco (obviously), from
Tunisia, from Ethiopia, from Yemen and from Central and South America.
He tells me that imported such types of coffee, especially from Ethiopia can
be very expensive (almost to the point of being unprofitable entirely) but
that it doesn’t matter, because the quality of the cafe is the most important
thing for him. I love to come to this cafe to read a book, it’s the perfect
environment and the perfect coffee to sit quietly and read a few chapters of
a book. It’s very relaxing indeed.
Part 3
What kind of people would like to go to a cafe?
I think that many different types of people enjoy going to the cafe. For
starters there are the people that love coffee; there’s your principle group.
After all, cafes are there to serve coffee first and foremost. Next there are
the people who enjoy to have a quiet hour to get on with some work or to
read a book in the comfort of a quiet and trendy environment. These two
types of people are most likely the most consistent customers; but, on top of
these guys you also have the type of people who come not to enjoy the
coffee or to read a book but who come to have a chat or discuss business,
these sorts of people are most likely the most common sort of people to go
to a cafe.
Why do young people like studying in a cafe instead of at home?

I’m not sure exactly. I will say though that I am myself one of those young
people. I hate staying at home to study or to read a book. I do it, obviously;
sometimes it is necessary. But for whatever reason I much prefer to do these
things at a cafe. I guess if I think about it, it’s because studying or reading a
book at home can feel somewhat lonely, especially if you’re home alone.
Going to a cafe feels more communal, you can sit and read a book and also
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enjoy the calming white noise of chatter, or of the barista tinkering with the
coffee machine and so on.
Do old people like to drink coffee?

In China I would say no definitely not. Most old people, in fact all as far as
I can remember dislike coffee. They think that it is far too bitter and they
don’t see any benefits to drinking it. They prefer to drink tea, tea is famous
in China for it’s mild taste, and thus mass appeal, and it’s health benefits.
It’s restorative, because of the caffeine, and it supposedly helps with all
sorts of other bodily functions as well. Coffee, on the other hand, though it
has many supposed health benefits, isn’t seen as quite so healthy by old
people in China, it’s not part of their tradition or culture. If we’re talking
about old people in the west of course, then that is different; they do drink
coffee all the time!
Do Chinese people like to drink coffee?

I think that that depends on the particular demographic and the particular
region we’re talking about. By this I mean that coffee is very popular
amongst younger people in China nowadays particularly in the big cities;
and more international cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou probably have
the highest number of coffee-drinkers per capita in the country because the
people there have had more exposure to it. In more rural areas young people
might not drink coffee very much and probably won’t like it if they try it. In
the north I think that coffee is less common, amongst the young and the old.
Across the board in China old people are averse to coffee I think, it’s not
really part of their culture.
想去的自行车/摩托车/汽车之旅
Describe a bicycle/ motorcycle/ car trip you would like to go
You should say
Who you would like to go with
Where you would like to go
When you would like to go
And explain why you would like to go by bicycle/ motorcycle/ car
I have always wanted to travel around Vietnam - or perhaps, Southeast Asia more
generally. I have always wanted to see the karst formations that dot the countryside
around Southeast Asia, and Vietnam famously, and I have always wanted to wander
through the countryside to see for myself those luscious green jungles that make it up. A
friend and I have discussed this trip for a long time. But, we’re undecided on how
exactly to carry it out. I for one want to take motorcycles around the country, going from
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north to south. My friend on the other hand wants to go by bicycle; he has expressed
concerns about riding around on a motorcycle in a country (or set of countries) where we
are unlikely to be fully insured and are unlikely to be familiar with all of the safety
regulations and customs. I fully understand my friend’s point of view, running (or biking)
too hastily into such a trip could spell disaster because we would be underprepared. In
that sense riding bicycles would be much safer and would still be more or less the same
sort of experience. As for myself though, there’s just something cool and romantic about
riding across a sub-tropical countryside by motorbike; the excitement and the risk would
be a large part of the fun! Anyway, if my friend and I can settle on a course, then we
hope to travel some time next year.
Part 3
Which form of vehicle is more popular in your country, bikes, cars or motorcycles?
I think that cars are overwhelmingly the most popular form of transportation in my
country. Nearly every family owns one; it’s sort of par for the course in China I think, in
fact it’s more of a right of passage for many young people. Getting a car is an important
milestone for many people and as such most families tend to have one. Having said that,
bikes are also popular, be they bicycles or e-bikes. Many jobs in China such as food
delivery and courier service jobs require an e-bike nowadays. Actually, thinking about it,
despite the fact that I think that cars are the most popular means of transportation
probably there are more e-bikes out there today.
Do you think air pollution comes mostly from mobile vehicles?

Not at all no. I think that most air pollution comes from factories and the commercial
burning of fossil fuels, in other words from industrial pollution; the number one cause of
air pollution today is the emitting of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon
monoxide as byproducts of industrial output. That being said, emissions given off
everyday by cars is still a lot, and there is plenty that ordinary people should do to quell
the negative impact mobile vehicles have on the environment. In China most of the cars
that people use nowadays are electric, this is a great way to reduce the overall emissions
because electric power is somewhat less harmful than gasoline.
Do you think people need to change the way of transportation drastically to protect the
environment?
Yes I think so. The human species is at a critical juncture today and it is hugely
important that people curb or put a stop to behaviors that are harmful to the environment.
As such, we need to reduce our reliance on gasoline powered cars first and foremost, and
beyond that we must begin to phase out the use of cars of the individual and replace
them with communal forms of electricity powered transportation. Buses should be used
instead of gas-guzzling family cars, and trains should be used instead of vans and trucks.
Day to day, people should begin trying to switch to non-electrical means of
transportation, i.e. bicycles, skates, scooters in order to drastically reduce carbon
emissions.
How are the transportation systems in urban areas and rural areas different?
In urban areas transportation systems are very good and reliable. There are many
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different means of getting around in urban areas, particularly the big cities. For example,
there are taxis and buses for getting around sub-local areas and there are subways and
magnet trains for reaching areas slightly further afield. In most cities in China the public
transportation systems are so comprehensive that travel to and from any place within is a
piece of cake. Conversely, rural areas tend to be far less comprehensively linked up with
public transportation schemes; in fact, most rural areas are only serviced by a high-speed
railway station and the occasional bus that stops there periodically.
度假去过的地方
Describe a place you visited on vacation
You should say
Where it is
When you went there
What you did there
And explain why you went there
I once visited the Taj Mahal in India, that was pretty exciting. A friend and I had always
planned on visiting India; there’s something otherworldly and romantic about India, it’s
a land suffused with an eclectic mix of history and culture and a place that feels remote
and unexplored because of it’s vast size. (Though of course this is untrue). Nevertheless,
my friend and I were excited to go and planned finally to visit in the summer of 2018.
We knew that because India is such a vast and sprawling country (much like China) that
visiting all of it in one trip wouldn’t be possible. So, we decided instead to explore just
the north of the country beginning in the capital city of New Delhi. New Delhi is a truly
unique city, it has bundles of history dotted all over but also has flecks of modernity in-
between; it has vast riches and staggering poverty, it’s a city of contradictions, it houses
the Lok Sabha (the Parliament of India) as well as various mosques, temples and
Gurdwaras. Just down the road from New Delhi is the city of Agra, our next destination
following Delhi. In Agra is the Taj Mahal, an old mausoleum built by Shah Jahan in the
17th century for his favourite concubine who had died in 1631. The mausoleum is built
from marble and has a distinctive ivory-white colour; the tomb itself is the centerpiece of
a 17-hectare complex complete with a mosque, guesthouse and garden. I was most
excited of all to see this place, and when I finally did I felt over the moon.
Part 3
What are some popular attractions that people like to visit in your country?
China has so many destinations that people can visit. Actually, we have the second most
world heritage sites in the world (after Italy) as listed by UNESCO, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, having a total of 56 around the
country! Some of our most popular destinations include the Forbidden City in Beijing;
the home of the emperor during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Then there is Zhangjiajie
a mountain range located in Hunan province; this area is famous for it’s many looming,
quartzite rock pillars that dot the landscape. It’s truly a sight to behold. Another popular
destination is Shanghai, a unique multicultural hub, popular with people of all ages.
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Do old people and young people choose different places to go on vacation? Why?
Sometimes, though not always. Young people enjoy going on adventurous holidays, they
enjoy skydiving, rock-climbing, diving and other such extreme activities; old people on
the other hand do not enjoy doing these sorts of things and prefer to relax in a quiet spot
somewhere. So, if a young person has this sort of holiday in mind then yes obviously the
choice of destination will be different to that of an old person. However, young and old
people share similar interests when it comes to natural and cultural sites around the
world. No matter if you are 25 or 65 everyone wants to be able to visit the Great Wall in
China or the Taj Mahal in India, and no matter if you are young or old, the Himalayas or
the Andes are things that everyone wants to see.
What do young people and old people think about when making travel plans?
Young people might be more impulsive when it comes to making travel plans; they
might simply look at a map, point to a place and book a flight there. They can worry
about the particulars once they arrive; this is part of the adventure and part of the fun.
For old people, travelling requires a lot more planning; old people are nowhere near as
impulsive or capricious as young people tend to be and so be more thoughtful in their
planning. A young people will think about the clothes they will need, they will bring
their passport and some sunglasses (to look cool obviously!) Old people will pack much
more including a toothbrush, comfort foods, maps, suncream, books, medicines and
things like that.
How do people find out about a new place?

Nowadays it’s easy to find out about new destinations because of technology. If
someone finds a nascent tourist location in the foothills of the Andes or somewhere then
it will take no time at all for that destination to gain popularity because it’s information
will be posted online near-instantaneously by satisfied tourists. Besides technology,
young people probably find out about new and interesting places via word of mouth,
similar to in the old days. Again, if a satisfied tourist travels somewhere and has a great
time he will most likely go home and tell all of his or her friends all about it. After that,
friends will tell other friends, and they will tell others until rumors of the place abound
all over.
早起的经历
Describe a time when you got up early
You should say:
When it was
What you did
Why you got up early
There was a time when I had to have pretty serious surgery, and I remember I needed to
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get up very early for that. Actually, that’s not true, technically my surgery started at 7am
but because I was nervous I made myself get up at 4am so that I would have ample to
time to walk to the hospital from my hotel. Anyway, let me go back a bit and explain
what happened. So about three years ago I started feeling tired all the time and
eventually I started having trouble speaking; I would mumble answers without wanting
to whenever anyone would ask me a question. It made me nervous and so I went to the
hospital to get some blood tests and an ultra-sound test. The ultra-sound showed that I
had a tumour in my thyroid! I couldn’t believe it, I spoke to the doctor who told me that
the tumour had a 50% chance of being cancer and that I would need surgery right away
to remove it. He referred me to specialist clinic in Chongqing. I called them up and
booked surgery for the next available date. I flew out to Chongqing a couple of days
before the surgery just to get settled there. I didn’t sleep well at all the entire time. The
morning of the surgery I woke up at 4am, I didn’t trust a taxi to take me the clinic on
time and so I decided that I would walk there instead. It took an hour and so I arrived at
around 5.30, with an hour and a half to spare before the surgery. Everything worked out
well, it wasn’t cancer in the end. I didn’t enjoy getting up that early, but nerves made it
necessary.
Part 3
Do you know anyone who likes to get up early?
Yes I have a friend who enjoys jogging in the morning. My friend has always been a
fitness addict who insists that exercising whilst fasted is the best way to exercise. I’m not
really sure what that means, I don’t really see what difference it makes honestly; but, in
any case he swears by it. Anyway, he tells me that the easiest way to exercise whilst
fasted is to exercise as soon as you get up. So, every morning at 5am he gets up and goes
for a 2 hour long run! Then he gets home and enjoys a healthy and light breakfast. I
guess he feels as though he needs to get up early in order to offset the chance that he
might want to eat breakfast instead of running.
Why do people get up early?

I suppose there are plenty of reasons why people get up early. There are certain types of
people who think it is healthy to get up bright and early, the sorts of people who eat
healthily and who try and get a steady 8 hours (at least) of regimented sleep every night.
Then there are other people who probably couldn’t care less about their health but who
need to get up very early for their jobs. Teachers and office workers need to get up very
early, particularly if they have a long commute to their place of work. Old people tend to
get up early, probably because they go to bed earlier.
What kinds of occasions need people to arrive early?

I think that for any sort of formal occasion it’s better to arrive early just to be polite. So
that goes for weddings, birthday dinners, business meetings, funerals and fundraising
events. If you arrive late to any of these events then you could cause offense. Besides
being polite I suppose the only other reason you would need to arrive early to an
occasion would be if you are involved in preparations for the event or if you are taking
part in some way in the activity for which the occasion has been organized. Say if you
are part of a band and you will be playing music at the event, in that case it would be
better to arrive early to make sure that everything is properly in place and ready to go.
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Why do some people like to stay up late?

I think that many young people like to stay up late, whilst older people prefer to go to
bed earlier. This is because young people tend to have much more hectic social lives,
and their lives are generally more frenetic and busy. They may want to stay up late to
chat with their friends online, or play the latest video game, or watch the newest movie.
For a restive soul with plenty of things to entertain them going to sleep can seem like a
nuisance, it just means that you need to put off that fun thing you’re doing until the next
day. For old people, these habits are not as appealing because often life is slower and
older people are more patient.
你花费超过预期的物品
Describe an item on which you spent more than expected
You should say
What it is
How much you spent on it
Why you bought it
And explain why you think you spend more than expected
Last year I wanted to buy a drone. I had seen lots of videos of people using a drone as
well plenty of drone footage; it seemed like a really cool thing to try out. I have always
been interested in film-making and so having a device that would enable you to take
birds-eye footage or to take a tracking shot without extra equipment was a really
appealing idea to me. The thing is though I had no idea at the time how much a drone
would cost, I’ve never really been that good with money and so sometimes it’s difficult
for me to price things up just by looking at them. Anyway, to me it looked as though a
drone might cost somewhere in the region of 1000 yuan maybe, for a decent one. After
all, they look rather flimsy and the propulsion system itself doesn’t seem all that
sophisticated; so it’s basically just a camera with propellers, or at least that’s what I
thought. So, I went to the electronics store to check out some drones. I met a very nice
salesman there who showed me a variety of popular models. The prices ranged from
5000 to 20,000 yuan, I couldn’t believe it! They seemed so expensive, but then the
salesman described what exactly each model includes and it turns out that there is plenty
of stuff packed inside as well as plenty of accessories that make it worth the price. I
decided to buy the 5000 yuan model, it was pricey, despite being the cheapest model and
I was surprised to be paying so much!
Part 3
Do you often buy more than you expected?
I think we all do that from time to time, we go into a supermarket or a store in order to
pick up one item and then we end up leaving with several incidental purchases. I myself
do that often yes. It’s nice having money to spend and sometimes the compulsion to
spend a little bit more money in order to offset the chance that you might need to go out
again is difficult to resist. Not least because often supermarkets and other stores are set
up in such a way as to encourage you to purchase one more item. Have you ever been to
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the store and impulsively picked up a chocolate bar that was sitting on a point-of-sale
next to the check-out; well, this was done purposely.
What do you think young people spend most of their money on?
I think that many young people in China want to be seen as trendy and so will spend a
lot of their money on clothes and accessories to make them look more fashionable, or at
least as though they have enough money to be able to shop for such items. Young people
also like to have the most up to date electronic products, the latest phone, the latest app,
the latest computer and so they will make sure that they have them by spending their
money on them whenever they can. Young people also enjoy socializing with their
friends and so perhaps another place they will spend their money is at the bar or the club,
or at restaurants.
Do you think it is important to save money? Why?

It is very important to save money, they say that the only way to make money is to have
money. And this is somewhat true I would say and so it makes sense to put some money
aside so that you can reinvest it later and make more money. Besides the ability to
reinvest, it is also important to save money in case you need it in the future. I think that
every responsible person should try their best to create a personal social safety net by
ensuring that have enough saved for any unfortunate eventuality. For example, a person
could be struck down by a car or bike one day, or they or someone in their family could
come down with a serious illness; savings are important for these things.
Do people buy things they don’t need?

Of course, that’s what modern economies are built on, surplus spending, rampant
consumption, it’s how money is recycled and it’s how economies grow. It’s something
that economists and sociologists call “manufactured wants”, which means that the
corporations and businesses will inculcate a desire to consume certain products that
people don’t need into the minds of potential consumers. Things like clothes driers for
example, many modern households have them, but they’re not necessary or even
important. Or take something like ornaments for the house, or large TVs, or beauty
products; these things don’t make life simpler or cheaper, they in fact do the opposite,
but we all buy them, all the time.
你经常做的浪费时间的活动
Describe an activity you usually do that wastes your time
You should say
What it is
When you usually do it
Why you do it
And explain why you think it wastes your time
I have a really bad habit of watching old TV shows from my childhood. Not just my
childhood in fact, but often I will re-watch TV shows that I have seen before. It gives me
77
a sense of warmth and comfort watching old TV serials that I used to enjoy even though
I know it is a massive waste of time. Actually, psychologists have shown that people
have an in-built desire to re-watch shows and movies as opposed to exposing themselves
to new ones because re-watching allows our brains to relax and rest, it allows it us to go
on autopilot so to speak. This is why procrastinating is so appealing, because it allows
our mind to put off any serious kind of task in order to perform remedial, brainless
activities that help us to feel safe and secure. We have a natural compulsion to feel safe,
and our brains can only relax when we feel that way, which is why we tend to fall back
onto familiar settings and activities. This is why being at home is comforting and why
we like to stick to similar foods and old friends. Anyway, yes for me this involves re-
watching TV shows from when I was younger; I know all of the lines and know all of
the twists and turns before they happen. I know that it is an incredible waste of time but I
don’t mind because I know it is giving time for my brain to refuel and because it makes
me feel happy. I have no desire to change this habit, it’s a waste of time, but that’s not to
say it’s bad for me!
Part 3
How do you balance life and work?
For me my job is fairly simple, I don’t need to bring my work home with me after a day
in the office and my working day is not that long. I try my best to take advantage of this
by engaging in productive activities during my off-time. I go to the gym, I read books, I
practice the guitar and so on. I like to think that my work-life balance is as good as can
be (and well balanced). For others, people who have stressful jobs with long hours,
managing their work-life balance can be tougher. After all the last thing those people
want to do after a long day at work is read a book or hit the gym. For these people I
think that making a conscious effort to being productive off-work is very important.
Will you continue doing something when you are aware that it’s a waste of time?
Well I suppose that that depends on what the thing is. For example, I enjoy re-watching
my favourite TV shows even though I know that it is a massive waste of time, but I will
continue to do it because I enjoy it for one, and because re-watching TV shows allows
my brain to relax and recharge. Some habits are not only a waste of time but are bad for
us in some way. For example, drinking alcohol excessively is not only a waste of time
but can be very damaging to our liver and kidneys - things like this I will try and
discontinue doing if I do them at all (though I don’t often drink anyway).
What kinds of things make people feel pressured?

I think that pressure comes from all sorts of places often all at once. For young people
down-ward pressure comes from parents and teachers who implicitly demand good
results from their children and students. Pressure also comes from growing up,
relationships and popularity are major forms of pressure that young people will feel. For
older people, down-ward pressure can come from their jobs, many jobs nowadays are
highly stressful because standards are so high; there can also be upward pressure from
their children, who are constantly vying for their parent’s attentions; pressure can come
from spouses who want all sorts of things from their partners.
Why do some people refuse to abide by rules?
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I guess that we’re all taught to abide by rules from a young age. Our parents teach us to
be polite and not harm others; our teachers teach us the importance of discipline and our
governments instruct us on how to behave in society. I guess for the people who disobey
the rules there must have been some sort of miscommunication somewhere along the
line. Perhaps their parents were absent or careless and did not instill the value of abiding
by the rules; perhaps their education was under-funded, or perhaps their teachers were
abusive or uninterested in them. Perhaps they have gotten their fingers burnt by
overzealous elements within the government. Generally, rule-breakers have been poorly
inculcated in societal norms.
感兴趣的名人
Describe a famous person you are interested in
You should say
Who he/she is
How you knew about him/her
What he/she was like before he/she became famous
And explain why you are interested in him/her
I am interested in David Beckham he has been my favourite football player since I was a young
boy. He comes from England and has played football for many famous football teams including
Manchester United and Real Madrid, two of the best teams in the world. I first saw David
Beckham play football during the 1998-1999 season of the English league, in which Manchester
won the treble, which means that they won three important footballing trophies in a single season.
David Beckham was instrumental in this and even since that time I have been obsessed with the
man and his skills on the football pitch. Beckham starting playing professionally at age 17,
before that he was a relative unknown but he quickly rose through the ranks to become one of
the greatest players of his generation. I particularly like Beckham because of his skill working as
a team, he passes well and he knows how to work effectively as part of a larger set piece plus his
scoring is excellent too. He also seems like a really good guy off the pitch as well. Whenever I
saw him in post-match interviews or during interviews today he seems super friendly and fun.
For these reasons I am interested in David Beckham, it’d been wonderful to meet him one day,
but I don’t know if that’ll ever happen.
Part 3
What kinds of famous people are there in your country?
There are all sorts of famous people in my country, from musicians to actors, to basketball
players to politicians, the gamut really of celebrity, like any other other country I suppose. The
most famous people in my country are actors or musicians I think. people in my country love to
listen to music and watch movies so I think that most of our country’s adoration is reserved for
them. Though we also like sports stars too. People like Yao Ming are very well liked for
example. Then there are business celebrities like Jack Ma, or politicians like our president Xi
Jinping.
What are the differences between famous people today and those in the past?
I don’t know if there are any particular differences, certainly not in looks or personality.
Celebrity culture has always been the same. Though I suppose today there seem to be more
celebrities and there are many celebrities that exist today that are famous simply for being
79
famous. people like talk show hosts or game show contestants. The sort of people who can be
famous now because of the proliferation of social media and television but who might not have
been famous before. Famous people from yesteryear probably had to have some sort of unique
gift to be able to attain fame, whereas this is less important nowadays.
Do you think famous people are necessarily good in their fields?

It depends entirely on the field. For example, I think that yes, sports stars are necessarily good in
their fields. otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to reach the top flight of their sport. However, some
famous people might be in a particular field not because they are uniquely talented in that field
but because they are particularly beautiful and handsome. I think that many actors and actresses
and even sometimes musicians get to the top of their industries, primarily because their good
looks have helped them to reach the top. If an actress is bad at acting, most people won’t care if
she is really beautiful I think.
Do you think media is putting too much attention on famous people?

Yes, I think so. but I also think that the media is feeding a particular want that the general public
has. I think that the proliferation of celebrity gossip columns and news items is down to the fact
people enjoy reading it more than anything else. News about the environment or politics or
economics is sort of boring to most people and most people would rather just read something
simple about a celebrity they are interested in. The media needs to make money and so they
simply generate news that appeals to most people and I think that celebrity news has by far the
most appeal for most ordinary people.
给别人建议
Describe a time when you gave advice to others
You should say
When it was
To whom you gave the advice
What the advice was
And explain why you gave the advice
OK, giving and asking for advice is very common in almost every culture. This shows how much
you care for someone. Every now and then I give a piece of advice, whenever someone asks for
it. I'd like to talk about the suggestion I have given to a younger brother. He had passed his high
school exam with high grades and wanted to enroll in university education. He was quite
confused about choosing which university he should get admission into as he had several options.
When he asked me about it, I advised him to go for the university which provides placement
services from reputed companies. He followed my advice exactly as I told him. this turned out
to be very, very beneficial because he got the job offer from Intel Corporation with a lot of perks
and a lucrative salary. It helps immensely for our family to with this advice. Overall, not only
himself but also my whole family was proud of him. He thanks me a lot and offered his first
salary to show his love and respect.
80
Part 3
Should people prepare before giving advice?
No, I don’t think so. In most cases, preparing in advance to giving advice just isn’t feasible.
Often, when people are looking for advice, it’s needed imminently, and not after a length of time
during which the person about to give advice can go away and prep. Advice isn’t factual or
thoroughly researched, it’s an opinion about something predicated on a particular piece of
information as well as intimate knowledge of the person receiving the advice. Advice is a form
of wisdom. it is honed and trained over a lifetime and thus cannot be prepared for in advance.
Is it good to ask advice from strangers online?

It is good because it is convenient and readily available. online advice is often subject to mass
appraisal from other online users and thus may well be more reliable than advice offered by a
well-meaning but misinformed friend. Having said that, online advice, because it has been given
anonymously by someone online, must be taken with a pinch of salt, even if it has been
positively appraised by the online community. It is useful insofar as it applies to you. But it must
be remembered that the advice might not be directly aimed at your situation and should therefore
be used as a broad guideline rather than as a definitive solution to a problem.
What are the personalities of people whose job is to give advice to others?
A person whose job it is to give advice to others must have an empathetic and patient personality,
I think. They must be able to put themselves into the shoes of whoever is seeking advice so that
they can best interpret and solve that person’s dilemma. A person who gives advice must also be
kind and generous. they must want to offer up advice because it brings them pleasure to help
others in need. I suppose also a person whose job it is to give advice is probably assertive and
confident, confident enough to be able to dole out advice to a stranger and be secure in the
knowledge that it will be relevant and useful for them.
What are the problems if you ask too many people for advice?
They say that too many cooks spoil the broth. This is a proverb that is trying to explain how
overproduction of something, or too much involvement in something will probably ruin it
altogether. The same is true for advice. If a person seeks it out too much, they will become
confused and overwhelmed, and their situation will end up becoming more dire. If you ask for
advice too much, you will lose sight of the original problem and things will seem worse than
they were before you started overthinking and over-analyzing by seeking out advice left, right
and center. Overthinking in this way ultimately leads to indecisiveness, a bad quality to have in
life generally.
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羊驼雅思 2022年 1-4月口语题库

Have you ever bought mirrors?

Do you usually take a mirror with you?

Would you use mirrors to decorate your room?

Do you like taking selfies?

Do you want to improve your picture-taking skills?

What is your favorite family photo?

Do you like to go to the gallery?

Do you want to learn more about art?

Did you learn drawing when you were a kid?

Why do more people rely on cellphones to memorize things?

Are you good at memorizing things?

Have you ever forgotten something that was important?

What types of cars do you like?

Do you prefer to be a driver or a passenger?

What do you usually do when there is a traffic jam?

Do you share your dreams with others?

Do you think dreams have special meanings?

Do you want to make your dreams come true?

Do you often use your mobile phone for texting or calls?

Will you buy a new one in the future?

How has your mobile phone changed your life?

When would you send emails to others?

Is sending emails popular in China?

Have you ever changed your routine?

Do you think it is important to have a daily routine for your study?

What part of your day do you like best?

Is it easy to manage time for you?

When do you find it hard to allocate time?

Do you like being busy?

Do you usually go to the cinema with your friends?

Do you still enjoy watching the movies you loved as a child?

Do you prefer watching movies at home or at the cinema?

Do you think kids are watching too much television?

What are the impacts of watching TV programs on children?

What kinds of TV programs do you think should be broadcast more?

Lost and found

Have you ever lost things?

Will you post on social media if you lose your item?

What is your favorite website?

What kinds of websites are popular in your country?

Do you like to watch live sports games?

Who do you like to watch sports games with?

What kinds of games do you expect to watch in the future?

Do you prefer to go shopping in the shopping mall or on the street market?

When was the last time you went to a street market?

Are there many street markets in China?

How do leaders get along with their subordinates?

Do people have time for themselves nowadays?

Do you like talking with older people? Why?

Do older people spend much time on social media?

Are non-social media like television and newspaper still useful?

What are the changes in working conditions?

What are the impacts of the epidemic on the work environment?

Do you think younger people should be lower-paid than older people?

On what occasions do people like to make friends?

What qualities make true friends?

Describe a house or an apartment you would like to live in

What are the differences between apartments and houses?

Do people usually rent or buy a house? Why?

How do young and old people react differently to new things?

Why do some people want to go to college far away from home?

Why do some young people like to live in cities?

Do most elderly people live in the city or in the countryside?

2022年1-4月口语题库&外教素材 - 副本

2022年1-4月口语题库&外教素材 - 副本