Part 1
Questions that were used in China from May to August, 2006
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Summary of Part 1 Topics
1.
Your Home (your accommodation)
2.
Your work/studies
(Note that either Topic 1 or Topic 2 is
compulsory.)
3.
Photographs
4.
Birds
5.
Dance
6.
Sport/Exercise
7.
Shopping
8.
Food/Cooking
9.
Music
10.
Friends
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1.
Your Home (your
accommodation)
§
What kind of housing/accommodation do you live in? [A house? A
flat? (= an apartment) A dormitory?]
§
Do you like it? (Why?)
§
Could you describe it?
§
What kind of decorations does it (do the rooms) have?
§
Which is your favourite room? (Why?)
§
Which room does your family spend most of the time in?
§
What would you say is the best thing about your home?
§
Would you like to move to another place to live? (Why?)
§
What kind of housing is most popular in China?
§
In the future, what kind of place would you like to live in?
2.
Your work/studies
Work
§
What work do you do?
§
Would you say it's an interesting job? (why?)
§
Do you meet many interesting people in your work? Or: Are there
many interesting people at your workplace?
§
How long have you been doing this job?
§
Why did you choose this job? *
§
Is your job a popular choice in China? *
§
Do you like your job? (Why?)
§
What is the biggest problem you have at work?
§
Is there anything you don’t like about your job? (What? Why?) *
§
Would you like to change your job? Or: Are you planning to
change your job in the near future? (Why?/Why not?)
§
Could you tell me something about your daily routine at work? *
Studies
§ What subject are you studying? (Or: What subject do you study?) (=
What's your major?)
Note:
If you tell the examiner you are a high
school student now, the question will be: What subjects are you studying? Or:
What subjects do you study?
If you tell the examiner that have
finished high school but have not yet gone to university, the question will
be: What subjects were you studying? Or: What subjects did you study?
If you have graduated from a university
or college, the question will be: What subject were you studying? Or: What
subject did you study?
§
Why did you choose this subject?
§
Do you like your subject? (Why?) *
§
Would you say your school/university is a good one? (Why?)
§
Does your university specialize in any particular subject? *
§
Why did you choose to attend your university/school (instead of
choosing another one)?
§
What part of your school/university do you like best? (Why?)
3.
Photographs
§
Do you like to take photographs? (Why?)
§
What kind of photos do you like to take? (Why?)
§
Do you prefer to take photos yourself or to have other people take
photos? (Why?)
§
How (why) did you become interested in photography? *
§
How do you keep your
photos?
§
Do you keep your photographs on your computer? *
§
When (= on what occasions) do you take photos? *
§
Is photography a popular hobby in China? *
§
Are there any photos on
the walls of your home? *
§
Do you prefer to send postcards
to people or to send photos that you took yourself? (Why?) (Or: As a
souvenir of a place that you visit, do you prefer to buy a postcard or take a
photograph yourself?)
§
Do Chinese people like to
visit photograph exhibitions? What kind of photos do they like to look at?
§
Do you think being a
photographer would be a good job? (Why?/Why not?) *
4.
Birds
§
How do you feel about birds? (Why do you feel that
way?)
§
How do Chinese people feel about birds? *
§
Are there many birds near your home?
§
Have you seen many different kinds of birds? (near
your home)
§
Do any birds have any particular significance in
China? For example, does China have a national bird?
§
Do you think birds should be protected? (Why? / Why
not? How can they be protected?)
§
Do Chinese people like raising (keeping) pet birds?
§
Have you ever raised (kept) a pet bird?
§
What did you feed it?
5.
Dance
§
Do you like to dance? (Why?/Why not?)
§
What kind of dancing do Chinese people like? (Unsure if that
means, ‘like to watch’ or ‘like to perform’.)
§
When do Chinese people like to dance?
§
Does China have any traditional dances?
§
Is traditional dance still popular today in China? (Why?/Why not?)
§
Is there much difference between traditional dancing and modern
dancing? (What?)
§
What kinds of dancing are popular with young people in China?
§
Do old people in China like the same kind of dancing as young
people? (Why?/Why not?)
§
What do you think is the influence of dance on
society?
6.
Sport/Exercise
§
What sports do you like? (Why?)
§
What sports are most popular in China?
§
Are boys and girls good at the same sports?
§
What sports do children prefer?
§
Do you like to do daily exercise? (Why?/Why not?)*
§
What are the advantages of doing regular exercise?
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Where do people in China usually exercise?
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What forms of exercise are most popular in China?
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Why do you think people like (to participate in) sport?
§
Do you think primary school children should have sports classes at
school? (Why?/Why not?)
7.
Shopping
§
Are there many shops near your home? (What kind?)
§
Do you like shopping? (Why?/Why not?)
§
Who usually does the shopping in your home?
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How often do you buy something in a shop?
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Do you have a regular time to go shopping?
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What things do you usually buy when you go shopping?
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Do you prefer shopping in small shops or big supermarkets and
department stores? (Why?)
8.
Food/Cooking
§
Is food important to you? (Why?) *
§
What kinds of food do you particularly like? *
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Is there any food you don’t like? (Why?) *
§
What kinds of food are most popular in China? or, What kinds of
food do Chinese people ( like to) eat?
§
Do you like cooking? (Why?/Why not?) *
§
Who usually does the cooking in your home?
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Do you prefer to eat at home or in restaurants? (Why?) * (What
are the advantages of home cooking?)
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Who do most Chinese people usually eat with? (Why?) *
§
Do you often eat with your family? or, Do Chinese people (or you) prefer
to eat with family or with friends? (Why?)
§
Do you think it's important for people to eat with their family? (Why?)
9.
Music
§
What kinds of music do you like to listen to? *
§
What kinds of music are (most) popular in China?
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Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
§
What musical instrument would you like to learn to play?
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Is music an important subject at school in China?
§
When do children in China start to study music in school?
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What benefits do children gain by studying music (learning a
musical instrument) (in school)?
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Which instrument do you think would be better to study - the piano or the
violin? *
10.
Friends
§
Is friendship (= are friends) important to you?
(Why?/Why not?)
§
Do you prefer to spend time with friends or
spend time alone? (Why?) *
§
What kind of people do you like to have as
friends?
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Do you like to spend time with friends? (Why?)
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What do you and your friends do together?
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What do your friends think of you?* (Do your
friends think that you are a good friend? Why?)
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Are friends more important than family? (Why?)*
§
How do Chinese people make friends? (= where, in what situations,
e.g. at school & at work.)*
§
Do adults and children make friends in the same way?*
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