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FCE Speaking Exam Part 1 – Interview Questions

In the first part of the exam, the interviewer will ask you and your partner several questions
about everyday topics. Here is a list of questions arranged by topic:

Area where you live or used to live

1. Is there anything you would like to learn about your country?

2. Which area of your country would you like to get to know better?
3. What’s the most interesting place you’ve visited near ….?
4. Could you tell me something about the area where you grew up?
5. Could you describe your family home to me?

Sports

1. Are you interested in sport?

2. Is there a sport you’d really like to try?
3. What sports do people play most in your country?
4. How much exercise do you take each week?
5. Do you like to be physically active or do you prefer relaxing?

Leisure

1. How much TV do you watch in a week?

2. Tell us about a TV programme you’ve seen recently?
3. Do you have a favourite newspaper or magazine?
4. What do you spend your time doing?
5. Do you enjoy reading?
6. What sort of books do you read?
7. Does anyone you know have an interesting hobby?
8. What’s the difference between reading the news in the newspaper and watching it on TV?
9. Who do you spend your free time with?
10. Do you prefer to be outside or inside when you have free time?

Work and study

1. Do you find it easy to study where you live?

2. Do you use the internet to learn new things?
3. Do you prefer working on your own or with other people?
4. What kind of work would you really like to do in the future?
5. Are you happier doing mental or physical work?
6. Can you remember your first English lessons?
7. What do you think were the most important things you learned at primary school?
8. Would you prefer to work for a big or small company?

Family and friends

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1. Who do you spend your free time with

2. Who are the most important people in your life?
3. Do you and your friends share the same ideas?
4. Tell me about your best friend?
5. Do you normally go out with family or friends?

Travel and holidays

1. Have you ever used your English on holiday?

2. Where would you really like to go on holiday in the future?
3. Do you like to plan your holidays carefully or do you prefer to just go?
4. How do you prefer to travel? by train or by plane?
5. What’s public transport like in your country?

Entertainment

1. Do you ever go to concerts?

2. Where do you like listening to music?
3. Do you like going to the cinema?
4. Do you enjoy playing computer games?
5. Do you enjoy shopping?
6. Do you like going to parties?

Daily life

1. How much time do you spend at home?

2. Tell us about a day you’ve really enjoyed recently?
3. Do you like cooking?
4. What’s your favourite food?
5. Have you got any plans for this weekend?
6. What’s your favourite day of the week?
7. Are you planning to do anything special this weekend?
8. What’s your favourite part of the day?

FREE TIME
1. Do you have enough free time?
2. Do you have free time on Sundays?
3. Do you have much free time during the day?
4. Do you have much free time in the evenings?
5. Do you have much free time in the mornings?
6. Do you like to watch movies? (...like to play tennis, ...)

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7. What are you doing this weekend?

8. What did you do last summer vacation?
9. What did you do last weekend?
10. What do you do in your free time?
11. What hobbies do you have?
12. When do you have free time? (How do you spend your free time?)
13. Where do you spend your free time?
14. Who do you spend your free time with?
15. How do you like to spend your free time?
o going shopping? going to the cinema? chatting? playing computer games going to
the disco? playing sports?reading? relaxing?
16. If you had more free time, what would you do with it?
17. Tell me about some good places to hang out.
o Why are they good?
18. Where do young people in this country usually spend their free time?
19. Would you like to have more free time?
o What would you like to give up so that you could have more free time?
20. How do the women in your family usually spend their free time?
21. How do the men in your family usually spend their free time?
22. Do men and women spend their free time differently? How?
23. If it were suddenly announced that tomorrow was a national holiday, what would you do?
24. What do you do on Saturdays?
25. Do people's leisure time activities change as they get older? How?
26. Who do you like to spend your leisure time with?
o What do you usually do?
27. Do you like gossiping in your free time?
o Who do you gossip with?
o Who do you gossip about?
28. What do you really hate having to do in your free time?
29. What new activity would you like to try doing in your free time?
30. Do you ever feel that you waste your free time? How?
o What can you do about this?
31. Do you find that your works or studies takes up your free time?
32. Are there any activities that you used to do but don't do anymore?
o Why did you stop?

Hobbies
33. Do you have a hobby?
34. What are your hobbies?
35. How long have you had your hobby?
36. Which hobbies are the most expensive?
37. Which hobbies are the cheapest?
38. Which hobbies cost nothing at all?
39. Which hobbies are the most popular in your country?
40. Is hunting a hobby or a sport in your country?
41. Which hobbies are the most popular with women in your country? With men?
42. Did you have any hobbies when you were a child?
43. Can you think of any hobbies which are popular with children and adults?
44. Do you think a hobby is different from a sport?

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45. Are there any hobbies you would like to try?

46. Are there any dangerous hobbies?
47. Are there any hobbies you can do in other countries, but not your own?
48. Which hobbies do you think are the most difficult?

1. How old were you when you went on your first flight? Where did you go?
2. Do you like to travel by airplane?
3. What was the longest flight you have ever taken?
4. What seat do you prefer: window, center or aisle?
5. What are three things you're supposed to do before the flight takes off?
6. What do you like to do during the flight?
 Does the plane provide anything to do to pass the time?
7. What are some movies you remember seeing on the plane?
8. What do you do when you experience turbulence?
9. Have you ever met anyone or established any relationships during a flight?
10. What should be done with obese people who practically take up two seats?
11. Can you sleep during the flight?
12. Have you ever seen a female pilot?
 Why do you think that most pilots are men?
13. Would you like to be a flight attendant?
 What are the benefits and /or downfalls?
14. Are most flight attendants female?
 Is being a flight attendant considered a good job in your country?
What do you think are the qualifications?
15. Are planes really safer than cars? ( A British study shows that flying is 176 times safer than
walking, 15 times safer than driving and 300 times safer than a motorbike.)
16. Would you rather have a younger, more beautiful/handsome flight attendant or an older,
more experienced one?
17. What are the advantages of traveling by airplane?
 What are the disadvantages?
18. Do you know someone who is afraid of flying in an airplane?
19. What questions should you ask when buying airplane tickets?
20. What is a group rate?
21. What is a charter flight?
22. What arrangements should you make for pick-up at the airport?
23. What things can you see in an airport?
24. What questions do they ask you when you check-in at the airport?
25. What questions do they ask you when going through immigration and customs at the
airport?
26. Have you ever seen an airplane crash?
27. Have you ever seen terrorists on the plane?
28. Have you ever met an annoying person during a flight?
29. Have you ever had an accident during a flight?
30. Have you ever work as a flight attendant?
31. Do you only fly one airline?
32. Do you think budget airlines are safe?
33. Do you like to fly? Why or why not?
34. What is the smallest airplane you have ever been on? How small was it?

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35. Do you prefer to fly in big planes or small planes? Why?

36. Would you like to learn how to fly? Why or why not?
37. Do you think being a pilot is a good job? Why or why not?
38. Have you ever gone sky-diving? Why or why not?
39. Have you or someone you know ever been in a plane crash?
40. What would you do if you were on a plane that was crashing?
41. Do you like to watch movies or TV about airplane crashes? Why or why not?
42. Do you enjoy the foods on airplane?
43. What arrangements should you make for pick-up at the airport?
44. What things do you see in an airport?
45. What questions do they ask when you check-in at the airport?
46. What questions do they ask when going through immigration/customs at the airport?
47. How much baggage do you take with you?
48. What items should not be included in your hand baggage?
49. What documents do you need for international travel?
50. What airline do you prefer using?
51. How was the service on your last flight?
52. Do you like airline food?
53. Would you pay money for airline food?
54. Do you enjoy talking with strangers on an airplane?
55. Do you enjoy takeoff / landing?
56. What are some airplane disaster movies?
 Why do you think they are popular?
57. How do the pilot and the co-pilot navigate their planes?
58. What is a boarding pass?
59. When do you pay for airport tax?
60. Where can you hang your coats after boarding an airplane? 5. What do you do when you
get blocked ears during take off / landing?
61. What do you do before take off / landing?
62. Where can you smoke while traveling by plane?
63. What do you do when you need a flight attendant's assistance?
64. How can passengers reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis?

Conversation Questions
Planning a Party
1. Where would you like to have the party?
2. Who is the party for?
3. Why are you throwing this party?
4. What kind of people go to parties? Obligatory guests? Guests of honor?
5. What are some ways of describing guests at a party?
6. What are some parties that you are expected to bring gifts?
7. Who will you invite?
8. Will you send out invitations?
9. What do you need to think about if you are having a BBQ party outside?
10. What time do you like for parties to start or to end?
11. Do you like going to parties with a date or by yourself?

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12. What kind of decisions do you need to make when you plan a party?
13. Do you enjoy hosting parties at your house?
14. What are the characteristics of a good host?

When is the last time Do you consider

you went out for yourself an adventurous
dinner? Describe it. person? Why?

If you had one million

What career do you
dollars and had to spend
hope to have when you
it in one day, what
are older?
would you do?

What do you like doing How can I get to the

in your free time? nearest 7-11 from here?

If you go to a restaurant
and the waiter brings Do you like small
you the wrong order, children? Why?
what will you do?

What sports do you like What is the most

to play? Why do you dangerous thing in your
enjoy them? home?

What are some of the What do you think is

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reasons people choose the best age to be?

to adopt a child? Why?

At what age should

At what age should
people be allowed to
people retire? Why?
vote? Why?

How many hours Would it be better or

should children go to worse to have a young
school each day? Why? president? Why?

In most countries,
women live longer than Are you afraid of
men. Why do you think getting old?
this is?

Have you ever flown

What do you think
on an airplane?
about elderly people?
Describe it?

Do you prefer to sit by What do you need to do

the window, center, or to prepare to go on a
aisle? trip?

What’s your favorite What would you do if

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color? you saw someone

stealing a shirt at a
store?

Are there animal rights What kind of animals

groups where you live? do humans ride?

Can you name some

What animals are you
animals that are
afraid of? Why?
endangered or extinct?

Have you ever ridden Do you have any pets?

an animal? Why or why not?

Do you think it is Do you think it’s okay

acceptable to do to eat meat? Are there
experiments on any animals we
animals? shouldn’t eat?

Do you think it’s okay Do you think that

to keep wild animals in animals can dream?
a zoo? What animals? Why?

Have you ever been to a Name some ways that

farm? Describe it. animals can help

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people.

What annoys you about Do you think you have

living where you live habits that annoy other
now? people?

What annoying habits

Do you consider
does your best friend
yourself a good artist?
have?

What kinds of art do What skill do you wish

you like best? you could have?

Would you rather

Do you like to watch
watch a baseball game
baseball? Why or Why
at a stadium or on
not?
television?

Do you think it’s ok to

Is it better to be
have plastic surgery to
beautiful or intelligent?
improve your looks?

What do you think

Would you ever get a
about people with
tattoo?
tattoos?

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Why do women wear

What is the traffic like
makeup, but men do
where you live?
not?

Should people be If you could meet any

allowed to talk on cell celebrity, who would it
phones while driving? be?

Do you like to read

tabloids? Why? Do you give money to
Do you prefer news on beggars? Why or Why
TV or in newspapers? not?
Why?

Are there a lot of What are some of the

beggars in your advantages of living in
country? a city?

What are some of the

disadvantages of living
If you could live
in a city?
anywhere, where would
Would you rather live
you live?
in a city or in the
country?

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Where do you usually

Do you like to go
do your homework?
shopping? Why?
Why?

Do you wear jewelry?

What did you wear
What do you wear, and
yesterday?
why?

Would you ever dye

When was the last time
your hair? Why, or
you got dressed up?
why not?

How does your

Where do you usually
grandmother dress
buy clothes?
differently than you?

Describe what the How often do you use

money in your country the computer? What do
looks like? you usually do?

Do you think email is a

Are you afraid to go
good way to
outside alone after dark
communicate with
where you live?
people? Why?

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Do you think there is

What websites do you
too much violence on
usually visit?
TV? Why or Why not?

Do you want to live in

another country when
you are older? Why or
What is a healthy diet?
Why not?
Do you believe in life
after death?

What time did you

What did you eat for wake up today? What
breakfast today? was the first thing you
did?

What are some disasters

Describe the last dream
that are common in
that you had.
your country?

Do you ever have Do you believe that

nightmares? What are dreams can predict the
they like? future?

Have you ever walked Do you or anyone in

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in your sleep? your family snore?

What subjects do you What subjects do you

like to study in school? dislike in school?

Do children in Taiwan Would you ever want

have too much to be a teacher? Why
homework? or Why not?

What is one of your

Describe the last
favorite TV shows?
vacation you took.
Why do you like it?

What kind of movies

What kind of books do
do you like to watch?
you like to read? Why?
Why?

If you could play any

Do you play any
musical instrument,
musical instruments?
what would you play?

Would you describe

Do you know anyone
yourself as shy or
who gambles?
outgoing?

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What kind of
Describe your country’s
personality is good to
flag.
have in a friend?

Is it good to recycle? What is the pollution

Why or Why not? like in your country?

What are some ways to What are some ways to

reduce pollution? save energy?

What is more important

Are there too many
to you: family or
people in your country?
friends? Why?

Do you want to get

What chores do you married someday? Do
have at home? you want to have
children?

Describe the members

Are your parents strict?
of your family.

Do you often argue

Where do you usually
with your mother or
eat dinner?
father?

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Do people often get

How often do you see
divorced in your
your grandparents?
country?

What’s the best thing What’s the best thing

about your mother? about your father?

Do your parents trust What’s your favorite

you? animal?

What’s your favorite What’s your favorite

city? day of the week?

What’s your favorite What’s your favorite

food? holiday?

What’s your favorite What’s your favorite

fruit? vegetable?

Do you believe in Are you afraid of

ghosts? ghosts?

Are you afraid of

What are you afraid of?
flying?

What makes you What do you think is

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nervous? the most frightening

disease?

What do you think

about vegetarians? What’s your favorite
Could you ever be a restaurant?
vegetarian?

Do you prefer to eat out Describe one of your

or eat at home? closest friends.

Do you think it’s a good

Will robots ever replace
idea to borrow money
humans? How?
from a friend?

Do you think a machine

What is your favorite
will ever be able to
way to eat a cockroach?
think?

How did you escape How did you feel after

from the alien space watching television for
ship? 24 hours?

Would you rather kiss a If humans had three

crocodile or a bear? arms, would that be

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better or worse?

Do you want to join the

How are boys and girls
army? Why or Why
treated differently?
not?

How are old people Do you think you will

different than young be a better parent than
people? your parents?

What are some of the

hand gestures in your What was the last book
country? What do they you read?
mean?

Do you live in a house

What are your
or an apartment?
educational goals?
Describe it.

What are your financial What are your career

goals? goals?

Do you have any bad Have you ever broken a

habits? What? bad habit? What?

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What bad habits do you Have you ever been in

find annoying? a fight?

Have you ever broken a Have you ever been to

bone? a concert?

Have you ever called Have you ever cheated

someone “honey”? on an exam?

What would you do if

Describe an
you forgot to bring
embarrassing moment.
money to a restaurant?

Do you ever cook? What’s the best gift

What can you cook? you’ve ever received?

Do you like to
What’s the worst injury
exercise? What do you
you’ve ever received?
do for exercise?

Do you want to be What would you do if a

famous? Why or Why monkey stole your food
not? at a zoo?

Do you have any Do you like to go to

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nicknames? health clubs? Why or

Why not?

How often do you see a What’s the last gift you

doctor? received?

What do you like about

Describe your bedroom. your home? What
don’t you like?

Could you survive

Which room do you
alone in the forest for a
spend the most time in?
year?

What will you do after Are there any famous

you graduate from people from your
college? hometown?

What is the weather like What is your favorite

in your country? season?

Do you prefer
Describe the landscape
mountains or beaches?
in your country?
Why?

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How do you get

How do you make ice?
dressed?

How do you ride a How do you do

bicycle? laundry?

How do you kill a How do you lose

cockroach? weight?

How do you take care

How do you play golf?
of a plant?

Why do people
How do you stop the
immigrate to other
hiccups?
countries?

Would you like to

Do you know any
immigrate to another
immigrants?
country in the future?

Have you ever bought

What will you do
something over the
tonight?
internet?

Do you believe in “love What is a “blind date”?

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at first sight”?

Do you think a boy

What are some bad
should pay for
manners?
everything on a date?

What are some good Do you enjoy meeting

manners? some new people?

I am taking a test Do you have a good

tomorrow. Say some memory or a bad
things to encourage me. memory?

How much money do

What’s your earliest
you usually spend in
memory?
one day?

What’s the most

What’s the last thing
expensive thing you
that you bought?
own?

Do you think the police

Do you prefer to save
are good or bad? Are
money or spend
you scared when you
money?
see a police officer?

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What things can you

What sports do you
have delivered to your
play?
house?

Do you have a cell

Do you prefer to be late
phone? What do you
or early to class?
use it for?

If you had only 24

Have you ever been in a
hours to live, what
traffic accident?
would you do?

If a classmate asked
If the whole world were
you for an answer to a
listening, what would
test question, what
you say?
would you do?

If your car hit another If you could ask God

car but nobody noticed any one question, what
it, what would you do? would it be?

If you could be a super- If you could be an

hero, who would you animal, what animal
be? would you be and why?

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If you could be If you had three wishes,

invisible, what would what would you wish
you do? for?

If you could speak any

If you could have only
language (besides
one food for the rest of
English), what
your life, what food
language would you
would you choose?
speak?

If you could travel back If you could travel into

in time, where would the future, where would
you go? you go?

What would you do if What is the biggest

you found a wallet on problem facing your
the street? country?

If your cell phone fell in Why is it important to

the toilet, what would wear a helmet when
you do? riding a motorcycle?

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COMPUTERS
1. Are you computer literate?
2. Are you connected to the Internet?
a. Do you access the Internet with your computer?
b. Can you access the Internet from your home?
c. What is your favorite "news" site?
d. What Internet sites do you visit regularly?
3. Can your mother and father use a computer?
4. Do you have a computer?
a. Do you have a computer at work and at home?
b. Do you have a laptop or a desktop computer? Do you have both?
c. Do you use your computer when you do homework for school?
d. Have you ever studied English using your computer?
e. How many times have you upgraded your computer?
f. How powerful is your computer?
g. What company made your computer?
h. What kind of computer do you have?
i. What size is your computer screen?
i. What do you think is the best size to have?
j. Where do you use your computer?
k. Where in your room is your computer?
l. Why did you buy your computer?
5. Do you have a digital camera?
a. Do you send photos by email?
b. What kind of pictures do you take with your digital camera?
6. Do you have a scanner?
a. What kind of scanner do you have?
7. Do you have a web page?
a. What's the URL?
b. When did you start it?
c. How much time did it take to make?
d. How much time do you spend keeping it updated?
8. Do you know any computer programming languages?
a. How many computer programming languages do you know?
b. Which languages do you know?
c. Which language do you use the most often?
9. Do you read computer magazines?
a. Which computer magazines do you read?
10. Do you use a computer?
a. Are you good at using a computer?
b. Are you still using your first computer?
c. Did you learn to use a computer in high school?

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d. Do you know how to type well?

e. How often do you use a computer?
f. What are some of your favorite computer games?
g. What do you use a computer for?
h. What operating system do you use?
i. What software do you use the most often?
j. When did you first start using a computer?
k. Who taught you to use a computer?
11. Do you use chat rooms? If so, what chat rooms do you use and who do you talk to?
12. Do you use e mail?
a. Do you use e mail every day?
b. Do you write e mail in English?
c. Have you ever sent an e mail to your teacher?
d. How many e-mails do you get a day?
e. How many e mails do you send a day?
f. How many times a day do you access your e mail?
g. What's your e mail address?
h. How many e mail addresses do you have?
13. Do you have a Facebook account?
a. How often do you access it?
b. How often do you update it.
c. How many friends do you have?
d. How many hours a day do you spend looking at it?
14. Do you want a more powerful computer? If so, what computer do you want?
15. Does your family have a computer?
16. How fast can you type?
17. Have you ever taken a course at school where you used a computer?
18. Have you tried Mac-OS, Windows and Linux?
19. How do you study English with your computer?
20. How does email work?
21. How many people in your family can use a computer?
22. How much did your first computer cost? How much did you last computer cost?
23. How much does it cost by buy a computer?
a. What's the least expensive computer?
b. What's the most expensive computer?
24. How much does your Internet service provider cost?
a. Which ISP do you use?
25. If you could buy a new computer, what would you like to buy?
26. If you had lots of money, what kind of computer system would you like to buy?
27. What is the difference between software and hardware?
28. Which do you like better, a laptop computer or a desktop computer?
29. What is your favorite website?
30. Do you ever visit English websites?
31. Do you think our lives have been improved by computer technology?
a. Think of a few examples of how computers have an educational or an
entertainment value.
b. Could you do without them?
32. What is multimedia?
a. What are the components and the element of multimedia?
33. When did you first get a computer?

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a. What kind of computer was it?

b. About how much did it cost?
c. Do you still have it?
d. Do you still use it?
34. Do you remember the first time you used a computer or the Internet?
a. What did you think about it?
35. How long have there been personal computers in your country?
a. When did the average person start using a computer?
36. Can your parents operate a computer?
a. How do they use their computer?
b. Do you chat with your parents?
c. What kind of computer do they use?
d. Do they enjoy using their computer?
37. Can your children use a computer?
38. Do you think a computer can bring us happiness?
39. Do you have a computer?
40. Do you know any computer languages like C or C++?
41. What is configuration of your PC?
42. How often do you perform a backup?
a. What kind of backup method do you use?
b. What kind of backup media do you use?
43. What are some good things about having a computer?
44. What are some bad things about having a computer?
45. Does having a computer make life more complicated or less complicated?
46. What computer games have you played?
a. Which are your favorites?
b. Which do you think are not so interesting?
47. Do you use chat rooms and instant messaging?
a. Which ones do you use?
b. Why do you use them?
c. What are some things to think about when using them?
d. Why can these be dangerous for you and your kids?
48. What do you do when your computer doesn't work properly?
a. Do you have more than one computer?
b. Can you do everything you need to do when your computer is broken?
49. Do you have a webpage?
a. Did you make your own webpage?
b. What is on this webpage?
c. Why do you think people have webpages?
d. What would you like to add to your webpage?
50. Do you know what a blog is?
a. Do you have one? Why/ why not?
b. Why do people have blogs?
51. What do you think about file sharing?
52. On the Internet, you can say whatever you want. Is that true?
a. Is it a good or a bad thing? Why?
b. What is artificial intelligence?
DIETS
1. Have you ever been on a diet?

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2. How do you know if you are fat?

3. What is the best way to diet?
4. Do you think dieting can be dangerous?
5. Do you think fiber is important in your diet?
6. What kind of fiber is the best when you are trying to loose weight?
7. Do you think protein is important in a balanced diet?
8. What is a good source of protein?
9. Do you think people who are fat can be happy?
10. Do you think people are in general are gaining weight or loosing weight?
11. What kind of diet would you recommend to your friend?
12. What kind of diet would recommended for an older person(40's) and a younger
person(teens)?
13. What is the difference between diet and a healthy diet?
14. Is there a difference between being thin and being healthy? Which one is better?
15. Do you think being slim equals beautiful?
16. Do you think there is more pressure now for teens to look slimmer?
17. In what way can diet influence our appearance and personality?

EDUCATION
1. Where did you go to kindergarten?
2. Where did you go to elementary school?
3. Where did you go to junior high school?
4. Where did you go to high school?
5. Did you go to college or university?
o Where did you go?
o What did you study?
o How many years did you go?
o Did you work while you went there?
6. Did you enjoy going to elementary school?
7. Does your country have middle schools?
o What is the age that children begin school?
o How old are students they when they graduate?
8. Did you go to a good high school?
9. What do you remember about your teachers?
o Who was your favorite teacher?
o What teacher impressed you the most?
o Do you still stay in touch with your teachers?
o Did you have any teachers you didn't like?
10. How many students were in your high school?
11. Describe the students who attended your high school.
o Did they have a good influence on you?
o Did they make your childhood and teenage years harder or easier?
12. Did you make friends in high school that you still keep in touch with?
13. What subjects were you good at?
14. What subjects were you bad at?
15. Did you study a foreign language in school? Was it taught well?
16. Do you know anyone who attended a private school? Do private schools offer higher
quality education or are they just prestigious?

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17. Did you attend college?

18. If you did, what made you decide to go to the college you did?
19. Was it a good school?
20. How many students attended it?
21. How many students were in your biggest class? How many in your smallest class? Did
you prefer small classes or big classes?
22. Was it harder to study in college than in high school? How does college compare to high
school? What advice would you give a high school student who is about to go to college?
23. Did you live in a dormitory while you went to college? Who were your roommates?
24. Does your country provide a good public school system?
25. Does your country have good public universities? If not, why do you think there is a lack
of funding for education in your country?
26. What realistic changes would you make to your country's attitude toward education?
27. What role do you think human capital plays in the development of countries?
28. How many years did you attend college?
29. Did you study abroad?
30. Where do we learn the skills necessary to become a good student - in elementary,
middle or high school?
31. What are the skills that separate good students from bad students?
32. Were good grades important to you?
33. Did teachers grade students fairly? Did you ever feel like you should have gotten a better
grade then you did in a class?
34. Did you study with other students?
35. Is it easy to get scholarships or government grants?
36. Are there good colleges in your country?
37. Do many people in your country study abroad?
38. Are there any subjects you wanted to study but they weren't available at your school?
39. Are women encouraged to pursue education?
40. Are straight-A students smarter than others or just better at memorizing things? Did you
really learn in school or did you just memorize information and pass tests?
41. Do you know anyone who does not know how to read or write?
42. Do you think teachers are paid enough? Do you think teachers are well educated?
43. Do you think your teachers gave too much homework? How much homework should
teachers assign students?
44. Did you ride a bus or walk to school?
45. Was school ever canceled for a day when you were a child?
46. Do you think it is easier to learn as a child or as an adult?
47. Is it difficult for people without a college education to get good jobs where you live?
48. Does education guarantee a good job?
49. What are the qualities of a good student?
50. What are the qualities of a good teacher?
51. Why do you think people become teachers?
52. How much free time does a high school student in your country have?
53. Do parents home-school their children in your country?
54. What do you think of home schooling?
55. Do you know anyone who was home schooled?
56. Do you wish you had been home schooled?
57. Are teachers the only ones qualified to teach children? What makes someone qualified to
teach children?

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58. Can parents influence their children's schools? What can a parent do if he or she
disapproves of a teacher's decision?
59. Do children have a right to an education? Should education be free?
60. Does your country provide a good public school system?
61. What improvements does the school system need?
62. Do you think your country should spend more money on schools?
63. If a school gets more money, will the quality of education always improve?
64. What would happen if public schools were abolished? Could children still get an
education?
65. Once you graduate from a university should you stop learning?
66. What are some ways a person can continue to learn?
67. Would you ever vote for a politician who did not attend college?
68. What realistic changes would you make to your country's attitude toward education?
69. Why do students cheat during tests and exams? How do they cheat?
70. What is your attitude towards cheating? How should parents react? How should teachers
react?
71. Where do we learn the skills necessary to become a good student - in elementary,
middle or high school?
72. Should people go straight from school to a university, or do something different?
73. What is a "genius"?
74. Do teachers sometimes teach things that are not important?
75. Are there things your school does not teach that you think it should?
76. Are school uniforms good to have? Why or why not?
77. Would you ever want to learn a third language?
78. How important is curiosity in a student?
79. Can you teach someone who has no desire to learn?
80. What do you think about a gap year, is this something you would consider?
81. Should people go straight from school to University, or do something different?
82. Do you think it is necessary that there are windows in the classroom to provide for a
proper learning atmosphere?
83. What do you wish your teachers understood about you?
84. Do you think a person can become a genius, or are they just born that way?
85. What do you consider to be a "smart" or "slow" person?
86. Are things your school teaches that you think are not important?
87. Are school uniforms good to have? Why/why not?
88. Do prefer school uniforms or casuals better?
89. Would you ever want to learn a third language? [To be "trilingual"]
90. What do you consider "hardworking" or 'lazy"?
91. What is the role of schools in society?
92. Do you enjoy going to school? If so, why if not why?
93. What does your education mean to you?
94. What do you think the advantages and disadvantages of state and private schools are?
95. Are foreign languages part of the curriculum? If so, which languages?
96. Are most schools coeducational in your country?
97. Are there any subjects/classes you wanted to study but they weren't available at your
school/college?
98. Do you have difficulty with school work?
99. Do you think teachers are paid enough?
100. Do you think your school is a good one? Why/why not?
101. Do you think your teachers give too much homework?

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102. Do you think public speaking can improve your english?

103. How can we improve our classroom?
104. Why English is hard to learn at university level?
105. How do you travel to school?
106. How long must you go to college to get a degree?
107. How much is too much homework? How should the homework load be managed?
108. What are some good ways to learn English?
109. What are some important factors in determining which college to attend?
110. What classes would you take?
111. What do you study? What's your major?
112. What is the average age of a high school graduate?
113. What is your favorite class?
114. What was (or is) your favorite subject? Why do you like it?
115. Who selects the college you will attend -- you or your parents?
116. Why are you studying a foreign language?
117. Why is it helpful to learn a Second language?
118. Why is it sometimes very difficult to speak another language?
119. Would you consider studying abroad?
120. Do parents home-school their children in your country?
o What do you think of home-schooling?
o Do you know anyone who was home-schooled?
121. Do you think that most parents influence what university their child will attend?
122. Once you graduate from a university should you stop learning?
o What are some ways a person can continue to learn?
123. Which is more important, the essential skills in life you've learned to develop on
your own or the artificial structure in college about the "real" life?
124. Which high schools and colleges are the best in your country?
125. Which high schools and colleges are not so good in your country?
126. We should not just prepare for life, but live it. Do you agree?
127. What kind of world do you think this would be if people never went to school?
128. Should education be free?
129. Do the elite in your country attend only one or two universities?
130. Do your children attend US schools? If so, how do their schools differ from those
your children attended back home?
131. Does your country have good public universities? If not, why do you think there is
a lack of funding for education in your country?

IMMIGRATION
1. Why do people immigrate to other countries?
2. Is immigration from one country to another a problem? In what ways do you see it as a
problem?
3. Do you know any immigrants?
4. Do you think that immigrants are treated well in in most countries?
5. Do you think there is a relation between immigration and crime?
6. Should any government limit the number of immigrants entering the country? What would
be a good number?
7. Is local culture threatened by immigration?
8. How far should immigrants retain their culture?

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9. Should immigrants have the same rights as native citizens?

10. Should immigrants have the right to vote? In which elections?
11. What should be done with the illegal immigrants entering a country?
12. Should the country of origin of illegal immigrants be held responsible?
13. Do immigrants have a good or bad reputation in your part of the country?
14. Should students be allowed to wear clothes with cultural or religious symbolism at
school?
15. Do you think immigrants are treated with more suspicion now than they were a year ago?
16. Do you know anyone that is married to an immigrant?
17. Do you know any people who have emigrated from your country?
18. Would you ever think of emigrating?
19. Why would you think of emigrating?
20. What would be some of the issues that would concern you about emigrating?
21. Are there a lot of immigrants in your community?
22. Do immigrants in your community isolate themselves into a certain area?
23. Should immigrants be required to learn the local language?
24. How would you help an immigrant learn the local language?
25. How would you encourage children of immigrants to become bilingual by maintaining the
original language and becoming fluent in the local language?
26. Should immigrants be educated in their original language or the local language?
27. To what extent should official documents be written in several languages to
accommodate immigrants?
28. Are immigration regulations too strict? In what way should they be changed?
29. How long should immigrants be required to live in the new country before they can
become naturalized?
30. What should be the requirements for naturalization?
31. How does an immigrant become a citizen in your country?
32. How does immigration affect the economic situation in your community?
33. To what extent has the culture of your community become richer by immigrants?
34. How is your community incorporating immigrants into the life of the community?
35. Should employers who employ illegal immigrants be penalized?
36. Should illegal immigrants be deported?

UNEMPLOYMENT
1. Is unemployment a great problem where you live now?
o Do you know people who have lost their jobs recently?
2. What do you think the role of the government is in regulating the unemployment situation
in this country?
o How should the government help people who have lost their jobs?
3. When is the best time for a person to start looking for a job?
o Is it better to start job hunting while you are still studying and try to combine your
studies with work?
4. Can you remember what was your very first job? Can you tell us about it?
5. Do you think that at universities students get enough knowledge and practice to have no
difficulties when starting to work for some company?
o What should young people do to have enough qualification after graduation?
6. What are the most efficient ways to look for a job?
o Friends?

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o The Internet?
o Newspapers?
7. How do you behave at a job interview to produce a favorable impression on the
employer?
8. Do you feel nervous or relaxed and confident at job interviews?
o Share your experiences.
9. What are some questions you have been asked in an interview?
o Have you ever been asked some questions which seemed really strange and
o funny to you?

http://www.slideshare.net/DavidMainwood/compare-and-contrast-photos

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