1. What would the ideal holiday destination for you be like?
Sample answer
To start with, the ideal holiday destination for me would be somewhere hot and sunny near the sea. Although I like the snow, I cannot ski, so going somewhere cold would not be much fun.
Ideally, I would like to visit a tropical island in the South Pacific such as Fiji or Vanuatu. This is because I have seen pictures of these places and their cultures look very interesting. As a matter of fact, in Vanuatu they have an unusual bungee jumping ceremony that I would like to witness. Furthermore, I also enjoy swimming in the ocean, surfing and scuba diving.
For all these reasons a tropical island with crystal clear sea and sizeable waves would be perfect for me. I can't imagine a better place to go on holiday.
sizeable /ˈsaɪzəbəl/ adjective fairly large . E.g. sizeable amount/number a sizeable amount of money. sizeable proportion/portion/minority (of something) Part-time students make up a sizeable proportion of the college population.
2. Do you think it is important to take action to protect the oceans?
Sample answer:
First and foremost, we should all save our seas. Personally, I believe that it is essential that we do everything we can to protect our oceans and all the creatures in them for many reasons.
To begin with, we need the oceans to survive. Not only do our oceans produce more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere, which is something that we cannot live without, but the air we breathe, the water we drink and a lot of food that we eat also come from the them.
Secondly, the oceans are the lifeblood of our planet. Indeed, on Earth, all life is interdependent, which means that the more biologically diverse Earth is, the better the chance all species will have for survival. Therefore, losing species that live in our oceans would be disastrous.
To conclude, we must protect our oceans. If we don't start making positive changes now, we may soon lose our invaluable marine ecosystem forever!
lifeblood /ˈlaɪfblʌd/ noun [uncountable] 1 the most important thing needed by an organization, relationship etc to continue to exist or develop successfully. E.g. lifeblood of Communication is the lifeblood of a good marriage
3 What advice might you give to friends suffering from loneliness?
Sample answer:
In the first place, I would suggest that they join a club in their local community doing an activity they enjoy. As a matter of fact, meeting with people who share interests is a good way to make friends.
Second of all, I would also recommend that they take up a team sport or a hobby that involves other people since this is a good way to socialise with others. Not only would they get some exercise, they could also learn about team spirit and cooperation. Actually, these are forms of support that make everyone feel better.
Last but not least, I would also advise them to get a dog as pets are great company. In actual fact some pets, like dogs, need to be walked. This means that there is an opportunity to meet people this way.
4. How important is it for students to gain some work experience?
Sample answer
To begin with, I would like to mention that it has been said that all experience is valuable. In my opinion, work experience is extremely valuable to students for a number of reasons.
Firstly, you can put it on a CV and use it to help you get job interviews. Undeniably, A graduate who has some work experience is far more likely to get a job after university than someone who has none.
Secondly, working while at university allows you to explore career options. For instance, you can find out whether or not a particular line of work suits you.
Finally, working while studying has financial benefits. Not only will you be able to have some pocket money, but you will also avoid being burdened with so many debts when you leave university.
However, there is one disadvantage. It must be taken into account that working while studying reduces the time you have for your university work. Therefore, you need to have good time management skills.
In conclusion, I feel very strongly that work experience is vital to students. After all, it can only help them in life.
5.
How has the idea of family changed since the past century?
6.
The trouble with most children nowadays is that their parents are too easy with
them. Do you agree? What's the best way to raise your children?
Sample answer
The topic I
would like to discuss with you today is the one of family and
relationships. More specifically, I
would like to focus on an area that I consider particularly interesting. It is how the concepts of family and
relationships in general have changed in our lifetime.
To start
with, I would like to reflect on how families have evolved
since the times of our grandparents. As
strange as it might seem today, our grandparents' generation believed that
having children meant an increase in their workforce and therefore they embraced the
idea of having many of them. So,
the more children they had, the more work could be carried out in the fields. As a matter of fact, my grandparents were farmers and all family
members were supposed to lend a helping
hand and shoulder the burden of the daily farm chores.
Nowadays,
however, we tend to have fewer children. Evidently,
we no longer see them as workforce. Quite
the opposite, we have become aware that they need our constant attention and
a lot of TLC (tender, loving care). Additionally,
we also enjoy an extended life expectancy. People live definitely longer
and this has of course influenced
family structures. We even have coined a new term, the so-called "Beanpole family", which describes a multi-generational family
that is thinly stretched over
several generations, with fewer family members in each generation and with growing numbers of single-parent
families.
In addition to family size, a further point
to discuss is family types. At the
time of our grandparents you would just find the most traditional families. Our
generation, on the other hand, has witnessed the emergence of a much wider range of family structures. A case in point is the single-parent families, which have become more common in recent years. Another family type to consider is the rainbow families, which include same-sex families and gender-diverse families. Apart from these, there is also the blended family, a family consisting of a couple, the children they have had together, and their children from previous relationships. Finally, another family type that has gained prominence recently is the foster family, which takes a child into their home for a while and takes care of him or her. In any case, what we should bear in mind is that there is no such thing as 'normal' or 'abnormal' family structures – we are all equal and love is what really makes a family.
Another area to consider, is our children's upbringing.
There are mainly two types of parenting, helicopter
parenting and free-range parenting. In
The former parents pay extremely close attention to their children's
experiences and problems. And the latter
advocates encouraging independence in
children. These parents believe that over-protectiveness
is a danger in itself. Indeed, a
child who thinks he cannot do anything on his own eventually can't. As the
popular saying goes "either if you say you can or you can't you are always
right.
Obviously, these two types of parenting
lead us to a dilemma. Are we living
in a risk-averse culture where we stifle our children's ability to deal
with danger by never allowing them to take reasonable risks? Does our society mollycoddle its children? Or do
free-range parents expose their children
to real and unnecessary danger? What do you think?
In conclusion, our generation has witnessed a major shift in not only the area of family size and structure but also in the emergence of
unconventional family types. Likewise, today's parents are in a quandary over whether
in our modern times they should rear their children in a protective or permissive way. In any case,
at this moment in time, we have all become
perfectly aware that we are
propelling our children to an unpredictable future. So, as
long as they have the skills to fend
for themselves, we as a society should feel proud and contented.
