1. Animals

? Do you like animals?

--你喜欢所有动物，还是只喜欢某些动物，它们的共同特点是什么？你喜欢它们的具体表现是什么？

? Do people in your country like animals?

--答案是肯定的，多数人还是喜爱动物，对动物挺友好的，但也有少数人虐待动物的，着实可恶！

? What animals do people like to keep as pets in your country? (Why)

--从最常见的开始说起，并说明为什么它们那么受欢迎。然后可以说说你所知道的不常见的宠物，并举例说明。

? Is there any change right now compared with the past?

--这个问题问的是过去人们养的宠物和现在又什么区别。其实，过去又有多少人养宠物呢？ ? Do people of different age keep different animals as pets?

--对不起，这个真不知道，但是你可以猜猜。

参考：

--Yes I do, but not all animals. I prefer animals that are smart, cute and um, hairy多毛的, for example dogs. I dislike those hairless animals, like snakes and lizards. 蜥蜴They look so scary, you know. I get goose bumps毛骨悚然 whenever I see them.

--Well, generally yes. I think most people are fond of animals. And this can be seen from the fact that so many people keep animals as pets. But I have to admit 承认that some people are cruel残忍的杀害 to animals. I often read news reports about someone maltreating 虐待or even killing stray 流浪dogs and cats. It’s really abhorrent【?b'h?r?t】 可恶的behavior.

--As I know, the most common pets are obviously dogs, all kinds of dogs, like pugs（哈巴狗）, Peke（京巴）, poodles（贵妇，贵宾）, pit bulls（比特犬）, huskies（哈士奇）, chows（松狮）, Pome/ranians(松鼠狗，博美犬)，Samoyeds（萨摩耶），bulldogs, Chihuahuas, and cocker spaniels（可卡犬）. In my neighborhoods, 9 out of 10 pets are dogs. And I think the main reason why dogs are so well-liked is because they are great fun and smart, you know, you can teach them to do some simple tricks技巧, and they make great company when you are lonely, and for children, they are wonderful playmates, and one more thing, dogs are loyal to their master. So they’re indeed确实 mankind’s best friend.

--Mum, well, I don’t know much about the past, but I suppose one big change is that more people keep exotic异国 pets now days than before, like German shepherd牧羊犬 and Persian cat波斯猫. I don’t think people in the past could buy such pets.

--I’m not sure, but I guess so. For example, I often see elderly people have pet birds, but I’ve never seen any young people keep them. And it seems to me that dogs are well-liked among all age-groups, yeah.

2. Your hometown (Version 1)

? What’s your hometown famous for?

--头疼，我们那里没什么有名的呀，那就实话实说呗；如果有，具体说一说就行，比如你们那

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? ? ? ? ?

里的食物有名，然后准备一种食物就可以啦，但一定要能描述它。 What do you like most about your hometown?

--这个可以说气候，环境，生活方式等（可以和北京进行比较，因为喜欢是相对的） What do you think needs improving (needs to be improved) in your hometown? --可以从交通和城市环境两方面来说。

Do you know anything about the history of your hometown?

Or: Do/did you learn about the history of your hometown at school?

--这个真不知道，因为咱们学校不教地方史，如果想知道地方史的话，得问老一辈的人，或者去图书馆查去。

参考：

--My hometown is famous for its cuisine烹饪， especially noodles. People in my hometown are just crazy about noodles, and we’ve got about 100 different kinds of noodles. And you can find restaurants selling our noodles all over the country. My favorite is a kind of hand-made noodles, which are very fresh and chewy耐嚼的, and also very tasty and nutritious, with fried pork mince炸猪排肉, a special sauce酱油 and shredded切丝 vegetables like cucumber黄瓜, and carrot胡萝卜. I like to add vinegar醋 and fried chili辣椒 powder 粉末in it, giving it a very good sour 酸的and spicy辛辣的 taste, really appetizing!开胃的

--The thing I love most about my hometown is definitely the landscape风景. Unlike Beijing, which is very flat平坦, my hometown is hilly丘陵, with lots of hills and mountains. They are green all year round, very good places for camping, picnicking and hiking. Another thing I love is the lifestyle, which is relaxed and not so stressful, compared with big cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

--I think one thing that really needs improving is the urban environment. It’s not very clean and tidy. Rubbish can be seen everywhere in the street and on the pavemen人行道t. Many people are litterbugs乱认垃圾的人. I think the government should punish those people who drop litter乱丢废物, and put more litter bins垃圾箱 around the city.

--To be honest, no. Local history is not taught at school in my country. We only learn the national history and a bit of world history at school. But I think it’s necessary for local schools to introduce local history into their curriculum课程, because I think it would be a shame羞愧 if you didn’t know anything about the history of your home city.

3. Your major

? What’s your major? =What subject do/did you study at university? ? Is it popular in your country? Or: How popular is it in your country?

--大家想想一个专业火不火的最直接体现是什么。 ? Why did you choose the subject/major?

--不要老是我爸妈怎么着，还得说说你自己在选择这个专业时的想法。 ? Do you like it? (Why?)

--这个问题问的是，在你学习这个专业的过程中，你是否很享受，还是觉得上了贼船了？ ? Do you think it’s important to choose a major you like?

--当然，兴趣是最好的老师。

? Do you think it’s got a good future?

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? Or: Do you think it can help you find a good job in the future? ? Or: Do you think it will be easy to find a job when you graduate?

--考察你对将来时态的运用。好找工作+为什么？不好找+为什么？

参考：

--My major is/was International Business.

--Yes, it is. In my class alone, there are 40 students. And there are about 300 students studying this major in my department. And as I know, many universities have this major. I think the main reason why so many students choose the major is because it’s got a good future. I mean, as China does business with more and more foreign countries, professionals in the field of international business will be in great demand.

--I chose the major because I like it. You see, my ambition is to be a successful businessman/woman. And also my parents were very supportive of me.

--Yes, I do. And What I like most about my course is the case study. It’s so interesting to study why some companies are so successful and why others fail. And also from the case study, I get to learn some basic principles of corporate management, which I think will be useful to me when I have my own business in the future.

--Absolutely, like they say, interest is the best teacher. If a student enjoys what he’s studying, he will have a strong desire to learn more and the motivation to work harder. This is vital至关重要的 if you want to get the most out of your 4 years at university. (I’ve seen some students wasting all 4 years on computer games just because they don’t like their major and they cannot change it.)

4. Sport

? What sport did you like to do in your childhood?

--还能想得起来不？（考察过去时） ? Do you do any sport?

? Or: What sport do you like?

--这个问题，还可能是接着第一个问题问你：Do you still like the same sport? 你要想想你为什么喜欢这个运动？

? In the future, when you have children, what sport would you like them to learn/do?

--考察将来时。我又没孩子，我咋知道？你可以想象嘛。其实关键不是要让孩子做某项运动，只要他们爱运动就好。

? What do you think is the difference between the sports boys and girld do?

--考察同类比较的能力。一定要用上连接词whereas/while.

参考：

--Actually, I cannot remember clearly what sport I did in my childhood, I can only remember I played pingpong a lot when I was in primary school. There were a few pingpong tables in the playground. We liked to play it during the breaktime or after school.

--Yes, I do. I love basketabll; It’s my passion, and I’m crazy about NBA games. When I was in high school/university, I used to play it whenever I could, but now I don’t play it much. I just

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get lazy after I leave school/university, and now I spend more time on the computer. But I still follow NBA games.

--No, I don’t. To be honest, I hardly ever do any sport now, because I’m very busy with my English study. And it’s really tiring, with so many classes to take and so much homework to do. So, when I have time, I prefer to catch up on some sleep or watch a good film to help me wind down and relax.

--Well, I’m not sure, but I don’t think I will require them to learn a certain sport. It’s up to themselves what sport to do, but I will encourage them to go out and get more exercise. I wouldn’t like them to stay home all day watching TV or playing on the computer. It’s not good for their growth.

--It seems to me that boys prefer to do sports that are more exciting, energetic and competitive like basketball and football, whereas girls are more into something that’s light and not so tiring, such as yoga, jogging and swimming.

5. Travel

? Do you like travelling?

--当然，顺便说一下travelling的好处。 ? What places do you like travelling to?

--旅行目的地大致可以分为：风光秀丽的地方（山，河，湖，海），历史古迹，城市等。 ? Do you prefer to travel alone or with others?

--Travel with others 好说些，因为可以从消除旅途寂寞，彼此照顾，分享快乐等方面说说原因。如果你真喜欢一个人的话可以用用这个结构（If I had the choice, I’d rather…）. 然后说说理由，同时不要忘了承认一下travel alone的弊端。 ? Did you leave the city last holiday?

--实话实说，也可以tell a white lie. 关键是要说清楚上个假期你都干嘛了。（建议大家准备一个旅行的故事，在后面谈假期的时候也可以说说）。 ? Where do you want to go next time?

--就把你一直想去但都没去得了的地方说说就行。

--Yes, I do, very much. Ttravelling is the best way to get away from it all, you know.

--Well, actually, I like all beautiful and exciting places, but I have to say I’ve got a preference for gorgeous natural places. you see, I’m a nature lover, so when I go travelling, I usually choose places like mountains, rivers, lakes and forest parks. And when I’m in such a place, amiring the wonderful view, listening to pleasant sounds from the nature, breathing clean and fresh air, and taking pictures, I feel so good, and it’s really one of the biggest joys in life.

--Yes, I did. The last holiday was the May Day holiday when we had 2 days off, so my parents and I, we drove to a beautiful lake in the coutryside with my parents. It was really a wonderful place. The most exciting thing I did was riding the motorboat (with my father). It was just fantastic. Another enjoyable thing I did was lying on a rock chair on the bank of the lake, with the warm sunshine all over me, and the breeze, wow, it was just heaven.

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6. Films

? What kind of films did you like to watch in your childhood?

--考察过去时。这和那个问你小时候喜欢什么运动是类似的问题。 ? What about now?

? Or: Do you (still) like the same kind of films now?

--可能你仍然喜欢看小时候的电影，请你准备好解释为什么。或者你就说我不怎么看了，转而说你现在喜欢看什么电影，并解释为什么喜欢这类电影。 ? Do you prefer to watch films at home or in the cinema?

--考察同类比较能力，同时考察谈论利弊的能力。 ? Do you prefer to go alone or with others?

--实话是说了。想想有没有想一个人看电影的时候？还有你想找人一起去看电影的时候，你最先想到的是谁呢？

? Why do people watch films?

--原因有很多了，但好像多数人看电影要么是为了消磨时间，要么就是为了放松。 ? Do the reasons change from children to adults?

--应该是有所不同的。小孩看电影更多是因为好玩儿，而成人看电影的原因可能多一些，比如，想和你心爱的人一起去看电影，浪漫一下，嘿嘿。

--Well, like other children, I loved to wach cartoons when I was a child, especially Japanese cartoons, like Astro Boy(铁臂阿童木)，Crayon Shin-chan(蜡笔小新)，sakura momoko(樱桃小丸子)，Aladdin(阿拉丁），Doraemon (机器猫)，Smart Ikkyu san(聪明的一休)，Dragon Ball(七龙珠)，Saint Seiya (圣斗士)，Robotech(太空堡垒)，Fist of the North Star (北斗神拳)，City Hunter(城市猎人)，Slam Dunk(灌篮高手)，Detective Conan(柯南)，Naruto(火影忍者)，One Piece(海贼王)，Hikaru No Go(棋魂)，Captain Tsubasa(足球小将)，Legend of Galactic Heroes(银河英雄传)，Eva(新世纪福音战士). They kept me company throughout my childhood, giving me lots of fun and sweet memories.

--Yes, I do, but I rarely watch them now, because now I’ve got so many more choices. You know, there are thousands of films I can watch on the Internet. And now I watch basically everything, as long as it’s good. And what I watch most these days is American films and TV drama.

--Definitely, going to the cinema. If I had the choice, I would always go to the cinema, because you know, films are made to be watched in the cinema so only in the cinema can you get the best audio&visual effects. The small computer screen just doesn’t compare with the big film screen.

--Well, I think I prefer watching films at home. The main reason is that it’s more convenient. You know, you don’t need to worry about the transport, the weather or the ticket. As well as that, you can pause the film whenever you want, to answer a phone call or get something to drink, but you cannot do that in the cinema.

--I prefer to go with my friends. Actually, I’ve never been to the cinema alone. For me, it’s kind of weird. It would make me feel like pathetic about myself. Hey, I cannot even get anyone to go to the cinema with me. That would be so bad. Anyway, I think going to the movies is definitely a social thing. And going with someone is more fun as well.

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