1 1.Personal Present Situation:
Are you a student or do you have a job?
I am a student at the moment. I am studying on a full-time basis at a High School in Australia. We have classes in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings.
What do you like most about your studies?
Well, I guess the speaking part. Please allow me to explain. Language is all about communication. So when I am able to communicate with someone in English, I feel that I have achieved something. I particularly like our free talk sessions with the foreign teachers. It gives me the opportunity to question them about their countries and cultures.
What is your major?
We do reading and writing, practical speaking, and listening English everyday. English is the language of the future, especially in the business world. What I mean to say is that when I am able to communicate well in English here I will not only get used to this country soon but also master English very well, which will help me a lot in the future.
Do you think your present subjects are relevant?
What I mean is that the professor gives us examples from real life to examine and report on. Secondly, our lecturers and some advisors from the relevant industries have set up our study material. What I mean to say is that the people who we are going to work for one day have had the opportunity to tell the university what they think we should be taught.
2 What do you think of your major/job? Why do you choose it?
I‘m fascinated with my major/job mainly because I have strong/real interest in it. Besides/Plus, It‘s a promising subject/field. Finally, the teaching staff of my department is terrific /awesome. / The job offers me a sense of achievement.
I chose this major because it would be in demand in the future / would be promising / would allow me to earn a high salary / would be an interesting career / would give me opportunities to travel.
Well, my teachers and my parents all encouraged me to study that and it seemed like a good idea to me. So, basically, I was just following the advice of others.
I like it (so much) because it‘s something that I can do well!
The main reason (why) I like it is because it allows me to be creative.
The best thing about it is that it gives me a feeling that I am developing my mind.
I find it really interesting to learn about how the business world functions.‖
I find it quite _______ (interesting because ... / stimulating because ... / challenging because ... /satisfying because ...
b)workingWhat kind of job would you prefer after graduation?
I would like to become a medical doctor. Please allow me to explain. Firstly, I would like to render a service in the community to which I will eventually belong. For example, I would like to assist the elderly that do not have the financial means to afford private hospitals.
What are your job prospects?
I am planning to become a Hotel Manager. Please allow me to explain. Firstly, I believe that the hotel industry will be growing greatly in future. For example, people are becoming more affluent, and spend more and more of their money on holidays. In addition, I believe that after graduating I will be able to find a good job anywhere in the world. What I mean to say is that all hotels and resorts have the same objectives irrespective of where they are situated. Their aim is to ensure that their guests have a good time and return again.
What do you do for a living?
Describe your job in detail.
I am an Engineer. Allow me to explain myself by shortly mentioning the following points: Firstly, I work for a large construction company. To be more precise, we specialize in the building of railway bridges. Secondly, I would like to mention that I am in the designing department. We have to look at the site for a new bridge, and then decide what type of bridge will be suitable. Lastly, we have to make recommendations to the railway company of all the alternatives, and give them some idea of the costs.
Is your job important to you?
That‘s a broad question. Allow me to explain by shortly mentioning the following points: First of all, my job is important to me because by doing it I can serve my community and my country. For example, when my company builds a new road, many people benefit from our work. Secondly, it makes me feel good about myself. For instance, I am earning enough money to be able to rent my own apartment.
Is your job important to you?
That‘s a broad question. Allow me to explain by shortly mentioning the following points: First of all, my job is important to me because by doing it I can serve my community and my country. For example, when my company builds a new road, many people benefit from our work. Secondly, I personally get a lot of job satisfaction. What I mean to say is that after we have completed a road, I am proud to drive on the road with my family and explain to them what was involved during the building of the road.
If you could, would you change jobs?
No, not really. What I mean is that I am very happy in my present job. In addition, in my present job I get along well with my colleagues. Should I change jobs however, I might not find such nice people to work with and could be very unhappy. Lastly, I believe I will be able to develop my career here. For instance, if I keep up the good work that I am presently doing, I could be promoted in two years time and so become the head of a department.
If you could, would you change jobs?
Although I am very happy in my present job, I believe one should always be ambitious. That is to say one should never be complacent, but should be on the lookout for opportunities to advance in your career. Furthermore, I would not hesitate for one moment if I could obtain a promotion by changing jobs. I realize that one should show some loyalty to your present employer, but there has to be a balance between looking after one‘s own interests and those of your present employer.
Are their possible changes that could affect your job in any way?
I don‘t think so. The company that I am working for is large and strong. In addition, I have a good relationship with my colleagues and my boss. Lastly, the only possible change that would affect me is if I should receive a promotion. That would be a positive development, so I am worried at all.#p#副标题#e#
2.Shopping
Do you like / enjoy shopping?
When was the last time you went shopping?
Where do you go shopping?
What kind of shopping do you dislike?
What‘s the worst part about shopping?
What do you think about online shopping?
Do you prefer to shop in big stores or small shops?
Describe a shop/shopping center.
Do you like / enjoy shopping?
a) When was the last time you went shopping?
In fact, just yesterday! I Went to this electronic mall to shop for a cell phone. I got a good deal for it!
b) Where do you go shopping?
It Depends on what I‘m shopping for. For clothes, I go to the department stores in downtown. But recently, I‘ve been doing a lot of online shopping as I can get better deals.
c) What kind of shopping do you dislike? d)What‘s the worst part about shopping?
I hate the crowd, therefore no shopping for me on Saturday and Sunday, and especially public holidays. Jostling with other people makes me claustrophobic!
e)What do you think about online shopping?
I love it! I‘ve been buying things off Ebay and Taobao for the past 1 years, and I‘ve been lucky enough not to have been cheated. And I‘m generally pleased with the quality of the goods.
f)Do you prefer to shop in big stores or small shops?
Smaller ones if I‘m looking for something unique, like a birthday present for a friend. Bigger ones if I‘m buying big-ticket items as warranties are important.
5 Do you like / enjoy shopping?
Yes, I love shopping. Please allow me to explain. Firstly, I usually buy clothes for myself. I like to go to the shops and see what they have to offer. I browse around and compare the prices before a buy something. Secondly, I do the shopping of all our household needs. I love to find out about any new products on the market and how they can possibly make my life easier.
Do you like / enjoy shopping?
No, I hate shopping. Please allow me to explain. Firstly, shopping is the most basic activity in a capitalistic society. What I mean to say is that somebody has a product which they would like you to buy from them whether you really need it or not. They lure you into their shops and malls by advertising their goods on TV and in the newspapers. They only tell you about the positive aspects of their product, but would never mention the disadvantages. This you have to find out for yourself, usually after you have bought the product.
版本2：Talk about a shopping center you are familiar with
Where the shopping center is
What you can buy
How often you go there
and the reason why you like it ]
the shopping center that I like the most is called Emperor Square. It is settled in Zhongshan road, next to the Zhonghua Plaza, and it‘s in the vicinity of my school, so it‘s convenient for me to go to. This place is focused on fashion and trend, so it‘s very popular among teenagers. At weekends, the place is filled with middle school students. You can buy most of the indoor stuffs there, such as albums of famous pop stars and comic fan stuff. For boys, there are shops highlighting football, where you can buy pillows with Manchester United or AC Milan‘s emblem on them. For girls, there are shops selling fancy clothes, accessories, make-up and cute chains to hang on mobile phones. there are also special shops featuring ‗DIY‘, where you can do a range of things from hammering your own silver necklace to making soap and perfumes. We once made a cake of soap ourselves in Junior 1 for our English teacher, who was about to leave China, as a farewell present.
I am not as crazy about shopping as many of my peers, but it doesn‘t mean that I don‘t shop at all. I go to the Emperor Square more frequently than other places, about twice or three times a month. I still remember the first time I visited the place with my friends. It was right after an important exam, and my friends decided to go out to relax. When they invited me, I a
I am not as rich as others, and sometimes I don‘t have enough money with me, but even window-shopping there is highly enjoyable. Just strolling in the maze-like corridors and alleys and studying the exquisitely displayed commodities is a pleasure. Also, we have found this shopping center a good place to purchase birthday presents for our friends, since in the various stores there you can certainly find something suitable for a teenage friend. I really like the Emperor Square, a place of shopping surprises.
Q: Are there many people in the shopping center you just described?
A: Yes, and most of them are teenage students as I have mentioned. Part 3 General Questions
Q: What features do you think a successful shopping center must acquire?
A: In my opinion, a successful shopping center must, in the first place, be clear about what sort of customers they need to attract------does it focus on customers of a certain category, for example, sports lovers or old people? Or does it want to attract the general public? With this in mind, a shopping center can then import the correct goods to sell.
Also, the shopping place needs to be well furnished, equipped with adequate facilities, such as comfortable air-conditioning and spacious, easily accessible lifts. I don‘t think anybody would like to shop at a construction site!
then, the commodities the shopping center sells should be both modest in price and high in quality. Everybody likes things that are nice and cheap.
Last but not least, the service in a shopping center should be enhanced in order to attract more customers. Shop-assistants must be friendly to customers and willing to serve them well. there are picky shoppers who find fault with everything and can‘t make up their minds. A shop-assistant then, must be patient with them instead of being annoyed, and should try his best to satisfy the customers‘ needs and help them choose what fits them best.
Q: What do you think can be done to make a shopping center more attractive? A: First of all, adjustments can be made to a shopping center‘s facilities to make them more comfortable. More kinds of goods can be added to the storage and arranged in such a way that they can be more convenient for customers to access to.
Secondly, more sales activities can be held to raise interest. For example, a sales season around Christmas can attract many shoppers, and there can be more commodities on discount ----- cheaper merchandise means more buyers! Also, a shopping center can invite famous people, such as pop singers, to help promote its goods and entertain customers. these activities can certainly make a shopping center more popular.
Q: What do you think are the benefits of Internet shopping?
A: Talking about Internet shopping, I often buy books via the Internet, and I really enjoy this kind of shopping.
Internet shopping can save you a lot of time and energy. If you shop in the traditional way, you may have to run all around the city and turn all the shops upside down just for one special article. It may also cost you a whole morning and you may feel exhausted at the end of the day. However, if you do your shopping on the Internet, you can simply key in a few words and with a click of the mouse, your order is off and you can wait for your merchandise to be delivered to you. Internet shopping is much more convenient than traditional shopping. It can be hard for you to find something you need, for it may be tucked away in a corner of a shop. Yet on the Internet, you can just search for the merchandise you need, and receive the result a second later.
Q:What features do you think a successful shopping center must acquire?
A:In my opinion, a successful shopping center must, in the first place, be clear about what sort of customers they need to attract------does it focus on customers of a certain category , for example, sports lovers or old people? Or does it want to attract the general public? With this in mind, a shopping center can then import the correct goods to sell.
Also, the shopping place needs to be well furnished, equipped with adequate facilities, such as comfortable air-conditioning and spacious, easily accessible lifts. I don‘t think anybody would like to shop at a construction site!
then, the commodities the shopping center sells should be both modest in price and high in quality. Everybody likes things that are nice and cheap.
Last but not least, the service in a shopping center should be enhanced in order to attract more customers. Shop-assistants must be friendly to customers and willing to serve them well. there are picky shoppers who find fault with everything and can‘t make up their minds. A shop-assistant then, must be patient with them instead of being annoyed, and should try his best to satisfy the customers‘ needs and help them choose what fits them best.
Q: What do you think can be done to make a shopping center more attractive? A: First of all, adjustments can be made to a shopping center‘s facilities to make them more comfortable. More kinds of goods can be added to the storage and arranged in such a way that they can be more convenient for customers to access to.
Secondly, more sales activities can be held to raise interest. For example, a sales season around Christmas can attract many shoppers, and there can be more commodities on discount ----- cheaper merchandise means more buyers! Also, a shopping center can invite famous people, such as pop singers, to help promote its goods and entertain customers. these activities can certainly make a shopping center more popular.
Q: What do you think are the benefits of Internet shopping?
A: Talking about Internet shopping, I often buy books via the Internet, and I really enjoy this kind of shopping.
Internet shopping can save you a lot of time and energy. If you shop in the traditional way, you may have to run all around the city and turn all the shops upside down just for one special article. It may also cost you a whole morning and you may feel exhausted at the end of the day. However, if you do your shopping on the Internet, you can simply key in a few words and with a click of the mouse, your order is off and you can wait for your merchandise to be delivered to you.
Internet shopping is much more convenient than traditional shopping. It can be hard for you to find something you need, for it may be tucked away in a corner of a shop. Yet on the Internet, you can just search for the merchandise you need, and receive the result a second later.#p#副标题#e#
3.Hometown Where are you from? What‘s the most interesting part of your hometown? Has your hometown changed in recent years? Describe your hometown.
Hometown家乡a) Describe your hometown.(Part 3)
It‘s a small urban city covering 700 Square kilometers. The landscape is dominated by flats and roads spreading evenly throughout the city. I call it a ―concrete jungle‖.
What‘s the most interesting part of your hometown?
That would have to be a tourist-oriented island known as Sentosa Island where 2 new casinos are being built. In a year‘s time, everyone (locals and tourists alike) will be flocking to it.
Has your hometown changed in recent years?
It has undergone/experienced tremendous changes in the past 20 years, and still is. Modern malls are springing up everywhere at such a rapid rate that it feels like I‘m in a foreign country every time I go back.
描述家乡、城市： a metropolis 大都市 a tourism city 旅游城市an ancient city 古城 a historical city 历史名城 an industrial city 工业城市 a medium-sized city 中等城市a small town 小城镇 a county 县，郡
Although now Beijing is a modern and fashionable city, you can experience her history and culture by walking through the old streets.
It‘s a metropolis as well as an ancient city. You can find a pleasant blend of fashion and tradition in the city.
It is an important cultural city with a history of 1000 years.
A must see in my hometown is ….
The city is an ideal place for young people because it offers tons of opportunities.
The city boasts/features rich entertainment and flourishing business. With a rich variety of different people and cultures, it‘s difficult to get bored.
Although you can enjoy the pleasant environment, you have to suffer from the lack of job opportunities. The life can be pretty boring.#p#副标题#e#
4. Emails (and Letters)
1. Do you often write things? What do you usually write?
That depends on the situation.
When I write memo to colleagues, it's work related.
When I write an email to a friend, it's about personal stuff.
When I write a love letter, it's all sweet and passionate.
When I write my diary, it's to clarify my mind.
I don't write books. I don't write poems. I don't write songs. Do you prefer to write by hand or write using the computer?
I prefer writing by hand. It's much more personal and it feels a lot nicer receiving a handwritten letter than it does getting an email.
I like writing on the computer because it's fun, faster than handwriting and you don't have to worry bout spelling as much!
I prefer computer, because it's faster and readable. Do you think computers might one day replace handwriting?
Yes. Very likely! I can't remember when I last time wrote down more than a few words in handwriting. Probably back in university several years ago. I even use the computer for brainstorming.
Yes. I think computers will cause the art of handwriting, letter writing, etc. to become a thing of the past. People are too lazy to pick up a pen, these days, it seems like a lot of kiddies can type faster than they can write.
No. some people write fantastic emails, its not all one liners and text speaking, so the skills are there, letters will stay around, they have more meaning now as they take more effort. Just as TV didn't kill radio, email won't kill letters. Problem is most letters are written on the computer and then printed out. When do children begin to write in your country?
They are supposed to be able to read and write their ABC's by the time they hit the kindergarten or preschool. (5 years old)
All kids are different, generally in the Scotland most kids start to learn writing at the age of about 3 or 4,if they go to nursery, at school its 4 or 5.
As soon as they can hold the crayon, this can be before schooling even begins! Do you think handwriting is very important (nowadays)?
NO. NO. NO! My handwriting is HORRIBLE, but it's not about ability, it's about care. Why is doctors' handwriting infamously atrocious? Because they have better things to worry about.
No. I do have some prejudices about people taking care of themselves but not about handwriting, this is innocent, I can't judge by the cover.
No it's not important. But I have had situations when I had to fill in forms such as bank applications for loans and even during an interview session. It felt weird and my hand cramps easily.
Well, all in all, it depends on what you do. If your work requires using PC, handwriting should not be that important.
Yes. I do believe handwriting does reflect personality to quiet an extent because a person with a good mind cannot tolerate his handwriting to be untidy for sure, he or she will somehow manage to have a good handwriting. If it is not, I won't consider them as bad person, but would not have a good impression on them at once.
How can children today improve their handwriting?
Practice makes perfect, allow them time to write slowly and let them know how they could possibly improve and rewards for best handwriting....#p#副标题#e#
5.study or work? flat or house
Do you live in a flat or a house? What kind of flat?
What is outside the windows?I can see blocks of apartments…which isn‘t exactly that interesting. To the right of my balcony, I could catch parts of a bridge and more houses in the distance. In all, the view isn‘t that good.
Who do you live with? just my parents and I for now.
How long have you lived in your house?I‘ve lived there for over twenty years and will be there for as long as I know.
What is there on the wall in your house?
I would say my walls are pretty plain and boring. So as you can guess there‘s nothing on the wall!
Which room in your house do you like best?
Definitely my bedroom because it‘s multi-functional. I eat, sleep, read, study,…practically everything!
Describe your bedroom. Do you like it? Why?
Not that big, about 15 square meters with an adjoining balcony. In it
I have the usual furniture. Nothing too fancy but comfortable.
Is there anything you want to change / improve about your house?
Yes! in fact, I‘m thinking of putting in wood paneling. Just to make it more cozy.
what can you see when you look out the window?
Hometown Say something about your hometown.
It‘s a small urban city covering 700 Square kilometers. The landscape is dominated by flats and roads spreading evenly throughout the city. I call it a ―concrete jungle‖.
What‘s the most interesting part of your hometown?
That would have to be a tourist-oriented island known as Sentosa Island where 2 new casinos are being built. In a year‘s time, everyone (locals and tourists alike) will be flocking to it.
Has your hometown changed in recent years?
It has undergone/experienced tremendous changes in the past 20 years, and still is. Modern malls are springing up everywhere at such a rapid rate that it feels like I‘m in a foreign country every time I go back.