Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Think of some well-known brands and discuss this question: what is brand loyalty
and why do you think it exists?
Brand loyalty is not exactly price-related, but rather how consumers view the brand.
This can be through promotional activities, reputation, or previous experiences with a
company. Consumers are loyal to a brand because they believe that the brand offers a
better and higher quality service than anyone else. This happens regardless of price.
It is often based upon perception. A consumer will consistently purchase the same
product because he perceives it as being the superior product among the choices
available. Brand loyalty usually relates to a product, not a company. For example, while
we may be loyal to our Bmw car, when it comes to motorcycles, we might believe that a
Yamaha leaves a BMW motorcycle in the dust.
There’s a difference between brand loyalty and customer loyalty, they are often
mistaken. Brand loyalty refers to the tendency of some consumers to keep buying the
same brand of goods even when they have choices of competing alternatives. Customer
loyalty, on the other hand, refers to customers' faithfulness and commitment to a
company or brand.
For example, I am loyal to Pepsi and I only drink Pepsi, I don't like Coca-Cola. So, if I
go to a birthday party and there is only coca cola, I won't drink it. Being loyal to Nike
brings many benefits, because we have priority for sports tickets, we see the news
firsthand, and we get great discounts.
2. What do you think has changed between your parents’ generation and the
generation you were born into?
This topic has a lot to say because in many aspects, life today and in our parents'
time has changed. For example, my parents are from Portugal, but from different
social classes. My father had more financial possibilities than my mother, but my
mother was able to have more freedom. They both started working from the age
of 10, 11 and jobs that required physical strength. But my father had the
possibility to continue his studies if he wanted and went to a Catholic school,
while my mother didn't have that opportunity. We are talking about a post-
dictatorship period, but with adults who thought that during the dictatorship era,
everything was better.
Fortunately, my parents are open-minded, but sometimes I notice certain thoughts
and attitudes in my father that reflect the more restricted education he had.
Nowadays, I believe that young people are more concerned about certain issues
and have more sensitivity when it comes to the freedom of others. Talking about
sexuality is more common, and in my opinion also important because in fact
knowledge is the most precious asset we have and possibly in our parents' time,
they couldn't inform themselves with anyone, they found out by themselves. On
the environmental level, there is more concern and awareness about, as well as
animals, because for example, I know many young people who prefer to have
animals when they are adults rather than babies.
The subject of marriage also has its changes, as does the time when a couple
decides to build a life together. This is due to education, because now we have
greater access and opportunity for education, but we finish our studies later,
which makes us start building a life with our partner later, not to mention the
Portuguese economy, in which salaries are not enough to rent a house.
3. How important do you think it is to take risks in life? Have you ever taken
risks? Discuss.
In my opinion, taking risks is one of the best decisions we can make in our lives. I
believe that experience is what makes us wiser, however we must evaluate the
situation and the moment well. The biggest advantage of taking risks is to get out
of your comfort zone, which helps you grow and see things from a different
perspective. Human beings need routines, but they have to try to do something
different, otherwise they start acting like a robot.
For example, in driving: if you are used to a certain route that you know well,
everything is smooth, but knowing new routes and driving in other cities makes
you gain experience, that is, better prepared for some dangerous situation on the
road.
The most dangerous risks that human beings tend not to take, is when it involves
money. I find it understandable, because we earn our money and we are afraid to
invest and lose it all, but we have to think: what if we really earn twice as much?
What I think you can do in this case, is to invest only a part and not everything
you have.
Personally, I like to take risks and I like to change my life, but first I evaluate a lot
the conditions under which I can do it. For example, if I had a great opportunity
now, I would think about it a lot since I am finishing a 3-year degree and I have
one month left.
4. Discuss the quote in the photo above and the issues facing our planet. “Only
when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish
been caught, will we realise we cannot eat money.”
This quote is the best definition of our society. Our planet is slowly dying and we
only care about issues that add nothing to us like Elon Musk buying twitter or the
trial of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. We have been hearing for years about
garbage separation, about fires, and yet, year after year, we keep seeing TV news
about arson and sea pollution, animals dying from ingesting plastic, etc.
Money is what moves the world, because it allows us to have many comforts and
society can practice small gestures that help combat climate change, but it is also
a duty of politicians to affirm their country and help in this fight that is for the
good of all.
We are in June, and it is very sunny one day, and pouring rain the next, this is bad
for human health, but have we stopped to think that this is an effect of climate
change? I remember that some years ago, this rarely happened, in June there was
sun and good weather, August was very hot, and last year, August was a month
that seemed to be spring. Winter is not like it used to be and the lack of rain is a
constant.
5. Would you ever consider uprooting your life in order to live and work in another
country? What are some of the difficulties facing people who choose to live
abroad?
For me, this question is very relevant. I like change in my life, and since I've always
lived in the same place and don't travel much, when I go somewhere different from
where I live it's a breath of fresh air. I believe that the fact that I have never traveled
much increases my curiosity to experience a different city and countries, but since I am
a child, I have been fascinated by watching programs about Portuguese people in other
parts of the world and thought "wow, how different things are out there depending on
the country, and I want to experience this with my own eyes". It is not by chance that I
am in this degree because I wanted to be a flight attendant, because they move around
and don't have that same routine every day. For a period in my life, I wanted to
experience that!
So, if I had an opportunity to work in another country, I would certainly accept it and
go without expectations, but with an open mind, because possibly at the beginning
there would be cultural shocks such as food or certain attitudes.
The difficulties of living outside our country are mostly due to legal and health issues.
The paperwork requires a lot of work, but if you are a citizen of Europe and you are in
Europe, things are easier, especially in countries in the Euro Zone. In terms of health,
health insurance is important because not all countries have a free national health
system.
6. People are too easily influenced by advertising. Agree or disagree?
In my opinion, people are easily influenced by advertising, especially now with social
media. Speaking of television advertisements, older people are more attentive to
television, so the advertisements are always aimed at them, such as comfortable exercise
equipment, slippers that help with body posture.
While social networks are for the young and adult the internet is one of the most
malicious things there is, because it stores everything we search for. When we accept
cookies from a certain site, later on we will only see advertisements from the site we
visited, so that we end up buying a product.
I once saved an adidas jacket and sneakers in my wish list and every time I went to a
site, whether it was a dictionary or a news site, all I could see was the adidas ad and the
products I had add as favorite. Although it is a good marketing strategy and I am a fan
of online shopping, it becomes an unnecessary pressure, and I did not feel comfortable.
Social media influencers also play an important role as they are paid to showcase a
product that people will relate to and if one famous person uses it, everyone else will
want to use it too.
7. If we are to survive in the future, we need to listen to our grandparents and
great grandparents. Do you agree? What wisdom or insight can we get from
them?
I don't fully agree with this question as there are two sides. Older people are
indeed wise because they have life experience and have gone through situations
that we later experience. In other words, I think it is important to listen to their
opinion, but times change and they are not always aware of the constant evolution
that has taken place.
For example, if I want to drop out of college to be a freelance artist, possibly, they
won't consider it a good idea because they see college as a knowledge tool that
they didn't have access to and if young people have it, they should take advantage
of it. But young people today, are burdened with their expectations and alsoof
their parents, who sometimes failed to achieve their dreams, so they see their
children as a way to success.
Speaking for myself, my grandparents tell me to study hard and be very dedicated
because then I will achieve everything I want. But the reality is that I have a lot of
pressure on me that often makes me want to give up and question my path.
I think in the old days people learned certain subjects very young because they
already had responsibilities like paying for a house and taking care of children,
which made them grow up very fast and also grow old, because if you look at old
photos, people look older.
8. “A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is — it is what consumers
tell each other it is.” Discuss this idea and the impact of social influencers on
consumers.
This quote is absolutely right, because a brand without feedback is not a spoken
brand, and it is only possible to have feedback if you have a good advertisement.
Today, social influencers play an important role in showcasing brands and giving
opinion through their experience. We only know a product if we try it and to be
able to give advice, you have to try it, whether it's make-up, food or creams. Of
course, many influencers lie and recommend products only because the brand pays
well, as is the case of samsung, which pays famous people to promote their phones,
but in reality they are seen with an apple phone. This gives no credibility and has
exactly the opposite effect for the brand. Personally, I don't follow many
influencers as I find advertising a bit boring, however I like to inform myself and
read what certain influencers say about creams for acne prone skin (and of course,
the person has it too), as that's my skin type, and I value it a lot to use creams be
seeing opinions about.
9. Discuss what you know about your “generation” (Gen Z etc.) and how
your generation is seen by other age groups.
I believe that our generation is one of the most complicated that exists,
because it is the generation in which there is more information and access to
all kinds of news and social media.
Our generation expresses its opinion much more, which is a very positive
thing, but despite the freedom, I often feel that if my opinion is contrary to
that of others, that I am constantly attacked and criticised. I feel that it is a
generation that is critical of itself and of others and lives much more in the
digital world than the real one and is influenced by the number of followers,
likes and the heavily photoshopped pictures. We're used to everything being
instantaneous and fast process, which makes us anxious when there's a
slightly slower process. What I find quite positive is without a doubt the
space we give to mental health and how much priority should be given to
such, something that was not talked about almost ever. The fact that these
issues are addressed makes people feel more at ease to talk about their
problems.
10. With so many other forms of information today, do you think books are still
relevant in the 21st century? Why or why not?
The question about whether books are currently relevant is subjective, as this depends
on our personal taste. I know lots of people in my age group who don't read, prefer
watching movies to reading books and even watching youtube videos explaining
something rather than reading an article.
Personally, I am the opposite. I prefer reading to watching videos, reading articles, and
I prefer to study on paper rather than on the computer, because by writing with our
own handwriting and rhythm, I fix the subject.
Unfortunately, digital is taking big proportions and has already taken away place from
the paper book. There is a mini tablet that is read-only and we can buy the books and
read them. On the one hand, it is good for the environment because you don't use so
much paper and don't take up so much space at home. But on the other hand, I really
like having bookshelves with books that I've read and want to read, and as we flip
through the pages, it's a moment when we're not connected to anything digital. As for
scientific information books or grammars, I believe they will be replaced by articles on
the Internet. So books can be relevant, as long as they are available online.
11.“No one leaves home, unless home is the mouth of a shark.” What should
governments do about the refugee situation that has impacted so many societies in
the world today?
I agree with this quote, and it reflects the current situation, be it refugees from Syria, or
from Ukraine, which is currently the daily topic. Of course, these people didn't want to
leave their country and their family to come to another country where they don't speak
the language, but the safety of themselves and their children is paramount.
In the news, we can hear both versions: we hear reports of refugees who are well
received in the countries they go to, because they are given support and houses, as is the
example of Portugal. There was a time when many refugees from Syria were rescued
and taken to various places in Europe, and one of them is a city next to where I live,
where they were offered a house. On the other hand, I have read news reports that a
former Italian minister wanted to penalize organizations that help refugees cross the
border.
Regarding the situation of Ukrainians, I know a lady who came with her children to
Portugal, her husband stayed in the war, and she works with my mother. But it's
complicated because the Ukrainian writing system is different from ours, and she
doesn't know how to write down the time of her shift, so my mother does it for her. The
language barrier is also huge because they communicate by gestures.
12. Discuss the pros and cons of advertising in general (TV, posters, radio etc.).
The pros and cons of advertising are many, but I think we hear more about the pros than
the cons. Advertising is one of the easiest ways to reach out to multiple target groups at
the same time. This action helps a business to better discover who their primary
customers tend to be, the demographics to which they belong, and provides information
that allows for prospect cloning. It also gives a business the chance to reach out to
multiple new demographics in order to judge how influential their marketing messages
happen to be. It also creates jobs and contribute to the economy. It isn’t just in the
creative industry either. Improved revenues because of advertising contribute to job
growth within the business or industry and this provides more profitability, which
eventually leads to more job growth. Then the cycle repeats itself with every new
advertising campaign, helping many people in the process of generating revenues for a
business at the same time. Public advertising campaigns can help to bring more
awareness to certain societal issues, such as bullying or homelessness, that may not
otherwise be obtained through other sources. These public campaigns may have a cost
to them from a production standpoint, but because they spur local actions and support,
the value comes back around over time, and everyone benefits from it.
But they are cons such as: getting lost in the middle of the noise of advertising. People
today spend less than 5 seconds analyzing data to determine if it is worthy of
consumption. If it passes the test, then it will be consumed. If not, then it will simply
blend in with the rest of the white noise that occurs on the internet every day. It is very
easy for an advertising message to get lost because it doesn’t properly communicate
value. Something as simple as a sentence being too long or a word being unknown to a
viewer can be enough to cause prospects to turn away. Because an advertising campaign
can go global in a matter of minutes [or even seconds] on the modern internet, it is very
difficult for a business to be able to stay unique. Successful advertising campaigns can
be copied by others so that the successes can be replicated. This requires a business to
be continually innovating, creating, and find new approaches in order to provide a
unique message.
13. What are the pros and cons of reading a novel or other types of literature (poems
etc.) in translation?
In my opinion, reading translated books or poems is not the best option. It's
understandable, because we don't master all languages, for example if I want to read
Tolstoy, it has to be translated because I don't know Russian.
But reading books other than in your native language requires a great deal of
knowledge of the language you are reading. For example, right now I could read a
book in English, but I would possibly have to go to the Internet to find out the
meaning of some words or expressions.
A translator has a great responsibility on his or her shoulders because they have to
try to be as faithful as possible to the original work. This is not always easy, because
certain expressions only make sense in a certain language. For example, if I were to
translate "I look like a silly cockroach (pareço uma barata tonta)" into English, the
English language has a similar expression which is "like a headless chicken", but
there you go, the animal in question is not even the same, although it has the same
meaning, but for me this expression is funnier than the English one.
There are cases in rhyme where it is not possible to translate and rhyme, which can
also be a problem. in my opinion, the biggest disadvantage is reading a translated
work that does not convey the author's true message. There are words that can be
explained but not translated, like saudade.
14. Do you think the growing number of immigrants coming to Portugal or your
country of origin (Brazilians, Chinese, East Asians etc.) is good for the country?
Why or why not?
16. Describe how you behave in stressful situations and any ways you deal to
manage the stress.
Stress is a behavioral response to what the human body judges to be a threat. So, we
get anxious, think too much about it, and there are even physical changes such as
hair loss, increased pimples, and even getting more bloated. It is something that no
one should feel because it only impairs the human being's performance in his or her
day-to-day activities. For example, on the way to work, people often arrive stressed
out because they had a lot of traffic on the way.
I am a very anxious and stressed person, and as a general rule I always get
headaches (migraines) or else I am exhausted, and I get to sleep at night, and I can't
because my brain is always thinking. When I am facing a stressful situation, I
always try to stay calm but, depends on my confidence on facing the problem. If I'm
confident of myself, I can act calmly and correctly, but if I'm insecure, I transmit a
little bit of that. I usually go for walks with my dog so that I can just be with her,
and nature and it relaxes me and at night, I take three deep breaths.
As workers, immigrants are part of, but also have an impact on, the labour market;
they also alter the country’s income distribution and influence domestic investment
priorities. ● As students, immigrants – or their children – contribute to increasing
the stock of human capital and diffusing knowledge. ● As entrepreneurs and
investors, they create job opportunities and promote innovation and technological
change. ● As consumers, they contribute to increasing the demand for domestic –
and foreign – goods and services, thus affecting the price and production levels, as
well as the trade balance. ● As savers, they not only send remittances to their
countries of origin but also contribute indirectly, through the bank system, to
fostering investment in their host countries. ● As taxpayers, they contribute to the
public budget and benefit from public services.
17. What is personality? Discuss with your partner what defines us as individuals.
Personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling,
and behaving. It is what most defines each person and makes them unique, because
physically a person may or may not be attractive to us, but after we get to know their
personality, we will discover it.
I know different types of personalities and it's funny how compatible we can be. I
consider myself to be a fun but somewhat suspicious person and I really enjoy being
alone and having time for myself and doing what I enjoy most on my own. It can be
lonely sometimes, but I believe that we learn a lot from others, but also alone, it is
important to know ourselves. Regarding the people around me, what makes us unique is
really our attitude towards certain situations. For example, I am stressed but I admire
those who are calm and can keep their cool, because I am working on it, so far barely
succeeding. I like it when people are frontal and can share their opinion, because
although I am frontal, I prefer to keep my opinion to myself when I don't feel
comfortable stating it. I'd rather listen than talk.
18. There is no such thing as truth, and everything is relative. Discuss.
I think the question is whether truth can be relative. Basically, what we believe is our
truth. What may be true for me may not be true for the other person and vice versa.
Speaking in simpler examples, this happens a lot in relationships when they end,
because both parties have their side of the story, and it has to do with their perspective.
For example, for me the attitude of a former partner may have been wrong, but for him
it may not have been, while I may have done something bad, but since it was not my
intention, I don't see it as a serious mistake.
I often say that there are always 3 versions of something: my version, someone else's
version, and the real version, which only the Universe knows. Since we are different
people, we have different opinions and beliefs. For me, being healthy may mean eating
well, exercising, spending time outdoors, and studying for knowledge, while for
someone else it may mean being sedentary and only eating fast food. There is a more
general opinion, that is, which people consider their truth, but this does not imply that it
is universal truth.
19. Some people think that climate change is really just a hoax and that change
in weather patterns is normal. What is your opinion about this?
In my opinion, people don't believe in climate change because they don't want to see the
gravity of the situation, they are in. They prefer to think that it only happens to others,
and that the world will get worse many years from now. And personally, I see a lot of
climate change that indicates that the world is not exactly under control. The rapid
climate change we are now seeing is caused by humans using oil, gas and coal for their
homes, factories, and transport. I’ve seen an article that says that The world is now
about 1.2C warmer than it was in the 19th Century - and the amount of CO2 in the
atmosphere has risen by 50%. The impacts are huge: With further warming, some
regions could become uninhabitable, as farmland turns into desert. In other regions,
the opposite is happening, with extreme rainfall causing historic flooding - as seen
recently in China. And of course, People in poorer countries will suffer the most as they
do not have the money to adapt to climate change. Many farms in developing countries
already have to endure climates that are too hot, and this will only get worse. And,
raining one day in June as if it were winter, and then a huge heat the next day, is not
healthy.
20. Social media has replaced the role of journalists. To what extent do you agree?
This question can be taken in several senses. I believe that nowadays, we are quicker to
search on the Internet about some current issue, than to watch the news at dinner. I
barely eat dinner with my parents because I'm on work time, but we don't watch the
news and when my dad talks about something, I tend to look it up right away on the
Internet instead of turning on the TV. The information is more direct, even though it is
on news sites that also have a channel.
On the Internet, there is more contact with the public, such as polls on websites that
determine the opinions of those who participate. It is also possible to leave comments
on the news, which gives a voice to anyone who wants to share their opinion. Using
social media to promote your work is also a good tool for engagement and for example,
there are cases of people who state their opinion with an Instagram post or create a blog.
22. Discuss some things you can do to help improve the environment and help
change the direction we are going in.
The environmental theme is very present nowadays and children are being informed
about it at an increasingly early age. For example, in my internship, which I have
already completed, some children showed a great maturity for these environmental
issues, and I was surprised by the information they assimilated, such as habits that
their grandparents had and they decided to change, etc.
I believe that recycling our clothes, for example, is an important thing. I mean, if we
had some nice pants, we could try to make a dress out of them, or some socks, or
crop top. Besides, it ends up being a fun hobby.
The same can be done with home furnishings. If we have an old piece of furniture,
we can take advantage of it and paint it a more fashionable color, like white, paint
the handles another color, and then give life to that once brown and old wardrobe.
Instead of comparing furniture for the outside of the house or for our holiday home,
we can simply take pallets, paint them, and assemble them to make a large bed or a
center table.
Using the water as much as possible is also a great step. While the water is not
heating up, the cold water can be used for the fish aquarium or for watering plants.
1. The vase was broken, and I think that The vase was broken, and I think that
may caused by the cat. may have been caused by the cat.
N sei esta
2. The man who landed on the moon, The man who landed on the moon, who
that is Neil Armstrong, was an American is Neil Armstrong, was an American
hero. hero.
The man who landed on the moon, Neil
Armstrong, was an American hero.
5. She wants that her mother to stop She wants her mother to stop asking her
asking her when she’s getting when she’s getting married.
married. N sei explicar
6. He’s very considerate and he likes to He’s very considerate and he likes to
make people feeling comfortable make people feel comfortable when they
when they arrive. arrive.
Falta to teach
9. Pedro’s sister, who’s real name is Pedro’s sister, whose real name is
Nancy, went school with my father. Nancy, went to school with my father.
10. The number of Japanese tourists The number of Japanese tourists dropped
dropped for this reasons. for these reasons.
12. In 1939, whose times were hard, the In 1939, when times were hard, the
people often went hungry. people often went hungry.
15. Buy June of 2013, she will received By June of 2013, she will receive her
her undergraduate diploma. undergraduate diploma.
23. In Italy, those which went away to In Italy, those who went away to the US
the US usually never went back. usually never went back.
24. People does not read books anymore, People do not read books anymore, that
that is a pity. is a pity.
25. You didn’t had go to the market You shouldn’t have to go to the market
yesterday- it was full of coronavirus! yesterday- it was full of coronavirus!