Personal Information
Studies and Work
1. Are you working or studying?
2. What subject are you studying?
3. Why did you choose to study that?
4. Do you like your subject? (Why?)
5. Is there anything about your subject you don’t like?
6. Is this a popular subject at your university?
7. For university students: What’s the most interesting thing about your subject? (Why?)
8. For university students: How do you think your subject is important?
9. For high school students: Which of your subjects is the most interesting? (Why?)
10. What work/job do you do?
11. What do you mainly do at work? (=Could you tell me about your typical daily routine at work?)
12. Why did you choose this job / that kind of work?
13. Is your job (your work) very important to you? (Why?/Why not?)
14. Do you like/enjoy your job? (Why?/Why not?) (=How do you like your job?)
15. Is there anything you don’t like about your job?
16. Do you work more for interest (job satisfaction) or for the money?
17. What are the main skills needed for your work?
18. What's the most difficult part of your job?
19. Would you like to change your job?
20. What are your future work plans?
Your Hometown
1. Whereabouts (=where) did you grow up? (= Where were you born?)
2. Do you (your family) still live there?
3. How do you visit your hometown? (=What kind of transport do you use to go there?)
4. Do you like the city where you are living now?
5. What kind of place is your hometown? (= Describe your hometown)
6. What’s the most famous (= well-known) place in your hometown?
7. What's the oldest part (the oldest area/section) of your hometown?
8. How has your hometown changed in recent years?
9. Would you say it’s a good place to live/grow up?
10. Would you say it's a good place for young people/children to live/grow up?
11. Do many people visit your hometown (as tourists)?
12. What forms of transport do visitors use to come to your hometown?
13. How could your hometown (be improved in order to) attract more visitors?
Hobbies and Interest
Collecting
1. Do you collect anything?
2. Why do you collect ....(that/those things)?
3. Is collecting a popular pastime in China?
4. Do a lot of people in China collect things and what do they collect?
5. What are the benefits of collecting? (= Why do people like collecting?)
Computers
1. Do you use computers very much?
2. When was the first time you used a computer?
3. What do you use computers for?
4. Have computers changed (= influenced) your life in any way? (If yes, how?)
5. Do you think computers are useful (or important) in everyday life? (How?)
6. Computers are now used a lot in education. What do you think of this?
7. Do you think computers are good or bad for children?
Dance
1. Do you like to dance? (Why?/Why not?)
2. What kind of dancing do Chinese people like?
3. When do Chinese people like to dance?
4. Does China have any traditional dances?
5. Is traditional dance still popular today in China? (Why?/Why not?)
6. Is there much difference between traditional dancing and modern dancing? (What?)
7. What kinds of dancing are popular with young people in China?
8. Do old people in China like the same kind of dancing as young people? (Why?/Why not?)
9. What do you think is the influence of dance on society?
Drawing or Painting
1. Have you ever learned to draw (or paint)?
2. Do you like drawing (or painting)?
3. How often do you draw (or paint) something?
4. Do you think drawing (or painting) is difficult?
5. Do you think a person can teach him or herself how to draw (or paint)?
6. What do you think are some of the benefits of drawing (or painting), for both children and adults?
7. To draw (or paint) well, what factors do you think are important?
Films
1. How often do you go to the cinema?
2. Are most of the people in the cinema usually children or adults?
3. Do you prefer to watch films in a cinema or at home? (Why?)
4. What kind of films do you like to watch? (Why?)
5. Is there any kind of film that you don't like to watch? (Why?)
Games
1. Do you often play games?
2. What games do you like to play?
3. How do people learn to play this game?
4. What benefits do you get from playing this game?
5. What's the most popular game in China?
6. How have computers influenced the games people play?
7. Do you know of any games that are studied in university?
Languages
1. Besides English, have you studied any other languages?
2. When did you start to study that?
3. If you had the opportunity to study another foreign language, which one would you choose?
4. Is it difficult to learn a foreign language? (Why?/Why not?)
5. What is the most difficult part about studying a foreign language?
6. What is the value of knowing a foreign language?
7. What do you think is the most effective way to learn a foreign language?
8. Why do people learn a second or third language?
9. Why did you choose to study English?
Leisure Time and Relaxing
1. When do you have free time?
2. How do you like to relax? (What’s your favourite way to relax?)
3. Do you think it's important to have leisure time (spend some time relaxing)?
4. How do you think people will relax in the future?
5. Compare the way people in China relax today and the way they used to relax many years ago.
6. In your leisure time, what do you usually do with friends or family?
7. Do you think it's important to spend your leisure time with your family? Why?
8. What do you do in your holidays (= vacations)? (= How do you spend your holidays?)
9. Are holidays important (to people/to you)? (Why?)
10. What are some of the public holidays that China has?
11. Does your hometown have many facilities for entertainment?
12. Can you think of any hi-tech products that play an important role in the leisure/entertainment industry?
Music
1. Do you like music? (Why? What kind?/Why not?)
2. When do you listen to music?
3. What kinds of music do you like to listen to?
4. What kinds of music are (most) popular in China?
5. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
6. What musical instrument do you most enjoy listening to (Why?)
7. Is music an important subject at school in China?
8. When do children in China start to study music in school?
9. What benefits do children gain by studying music (learning a musical instrument)?
10. In what ways does music affect people?
11. Compare the music that young people like and the music that old(er) people like.
12. Why do many old people dislike pop music?
Newspapers
1. Do you often read newspapers?
2. What kinds of news do Chinese people read in newspapers?
3. Do you prefer to read about domestic (or local) news or international news? (Why?)
4. What different types of newspaper are there in China?
5. Do you care about the news?
6. Is the news important (to you)?
7. What are some methods that newspapers use to attract readers?
Outdoor Activities
1. What outdoor sports do you like? (Why?)
2. How much time do you spend outdoors every week?
3. How often do you do outdoor activities?
4. What are some examples of outdoor sports that are popular in China?
5. Do you think it's important to spend some time outdoors? (Why?/Why not?)
6. Can children play sport at school in China?
Photography
1. Do you like to take photographs? (Why?)
2. How (why) did you become interested in photography?
3. What is the value of taking photographs?
4. Why do (you think) some people do not like taking photographs?
5. How often do you take photographs?
6. When (on what occasions) do you take photos?
7. What kind of photos do you like to take? (Why?)
8. Do you prefer to take photos yourself or to have other people take photos? (Why?)
9. Do you prefer to take pictures (= take photos) of people or of scenery? (Why?)
10. How do you keep your photos?
11. Do you keep your photographs on your computer?
12. Do you frame (or have you framed) any of your photos? (If yes, which? & why?)
13. Is photography a popular hobby in China?
14. Why do you think some people like taking photographs when they visit another place?
15. Do Chinese people like to visit photograph exhibitions? What kind of photos do they like to look at?
16. What factors make a good photograph?
Reading
1. What kinds of things do you like reading?
2. What types of book do you dislike reading?
3. What reading materials do different kinds of people like?
4. What types of people like reading?
5. Why do some people dislike reading?
6. Do you think reading is important? (Why?/Why not?)
7. What is the function of (the purpose of) reading?
Sports and Exercises
1. What sports do you like? (Why?)
2. What sports are most popular in China?
3. Are boys and girls good at the same sports?
4. What sports do children prefer?
5. Do you like to do daily exercise? (Why?/Why not?)
6. What are the advantages of doing regular exercise?
7. Where do people in China usually exercise?
8. What forms of exercise are most popular in China?
9. Do you think primary school children should have sports classes at school? (Why?/Why not?)
10. Why do some people enjoy (watching) sports events?
11. Does China have any good sports teams? ( = What are some of the best sports teams in China?)
12. Do you think teamwork is important? (Why?)
TV and Radio
1. What kind of entertainment do you prefer, TV or radio? (Why?)
2. How are radio programs and television programs different?
3. What programs do you like to watch/listen to?
4. When do you watch TV/listen to the radio?
5. In China, has television/radio changed much in the past few years? (How?)
6. How do you think TV/radio broadcasts in China could be improved?
7. Do you prefer TV news or news on the radio? (Why?)
Travel
1. Do you like to travel (in your holidays or free time)? (Why?)
2. Do you think it's important to travel during your holidays? (Why?/Why not?)
3. Where do you like to go?
4. Do you prefer to travel alone or with others?
5. What do you think of traveling with a travel agency?
6. Do you think it good to take children to travel? (if yes, what are the benefits?)
Food, Meals and Cooking
1. What kinds of food do you particularly like?
2. Is there any food you don’t like? (Why?)
3. What kinds of food are most popular in China?
4. Do you like cooking? (Why?/Why not?)
5. Who usually does the cooking in your home?
6. Do you prefer to eat at home or in restaurants? (Why?)
7. What are the advantages of home cooking?
8. Do you often eat with your family?
9. Do you think it's important for people to eat with their family? (Why?)
10. Do you usually go out to eat or do you usually eat at home?
11. What kind of restaurants do you like? (prefer) (Why?)
12. What kind of foods do you (or Chinese people) like to eat in restaurants?
13. How (do you think) restaurants have changed, over the past few years?
14. What are the qualities of a good restaurant?
15. Which meal do you prefer, lunch or dinner (supper)? (Why?)
16. Which meal of the day do you think is most important? (Why?/Why not?)
17. Do you think breakfast is important? (Why?/Why not?)
18. What do you usually eat for breakfast?
19. Would you like to try any new food? (If yes, give an example &/or say why.)
Accommodation
1. What kind of housing/accommodation do you live in? [A house? A flat? A dormitory?]
2. Who do you live with?
3. How long have you lived there?
4. Do you like it? (Why?)
5. Can you describe the place where you live? = Please describe your home a little.
6. What's the best thing about your home (= the place where you live)?
7. Which is your favourite room? (Why?)
8. Which room does your family spend most of the time in?
9. What do you usually do in your house/flat/room?
10. Do you think your home (or, the place where you live) needs any improvements?
11. What kind of decorations does it (do the rooms/does your room) have?
12. What kind of housing is most popular in China?
13. In the future, what kind of place would you like to live in?
Clothes and Shopping
1. What kinds/styles of clothes do you like to wear? (Why?)
2. Do you prefer informal (= casual) or formal clothes? (Why?)
3. Do you feel comfortable when wearing formal clothes? (Why?/Why not?)
4. Do your friends have the same tastes in clothes as you?
5. Do you think you will still be wearing the same kinds of clothes when you are old?
6. Is the brand of clothes important to you? (Why?/Why not?)
7. What clothes materials do you like best? (Why?)
8. What can you learn about a person from the clothes they wear?
9. Do you think employees in a company should wear a uniform?
10. What do you think of modern fashions?
11. Do you like the latest fashions? (Why?/Why not?)
12. What's your favourite clothes colour? (Why?)
13. How important to you is the color of (your) clothes?
14. How often do you go shopping for clothes?
15. Do you like shopping (for clothes)? (Why?/Why not?)
16. Why do some people frequently go shopping (for clothes)?
17. Do men and women have the same ideas (feelings) about clothes?
18. Do you like buying clothes on the internet?
19. Are there many shops near your home? (What kind?)
20. Do you like shopping? (Why?/Why not?)
21. What do you think is the most difficult (or, unpleasant) part about shopping?
22. Who usually does the shopping in your home?
23. What do you usually buy when you go shopping?
24. Do you like to go window-shopping? (Why?/Why not?)
25. How do you think shopping has changed in China since you were born?
Transport
1. How did you get to the test today? (What form of transportation did you use?)
2. What kinds of transport do you usually use?
3. For you, what are the benefits (advantages) of using that form of transportation?
4. What do you think of the transport conditions in your hometown?
5. How do you think the transport system could be improved?
6. Do you think transportation costs (gasoline, subway, bus & taxi fares, etc) are expensive in your hometown?
7. Are bicycles popular in your city? (Why?/Why not?)
8. Do you often ride a bicycle? (Why?/Why not? Where? When?)
9. What do you think are the advantages (and disadvantages) of bicycles compared to cars?
10. Would you say bicycles are suitable for people of all ages?
11. Do you think bicycles are suitable for present society?
Weather
1. What kind of weather do you like (best)? (Why?)
2. What is the typical weather in China like?
3. Can you give any examples of unusual weather?
4. Which city in China (or, which part of China) has the best weather?
5. Which city in China (or, which part of China) has the worst weather?
6. How does the weather affect people (or, you)?
7. Do you always (often/usually) pay attention to the weather forecast? Why?/Why not?
8. Does it rain much in China? (Where? When?)
9. Do you like rainy days? (= How do you feel on rainy days?
10. What do you do on rainy days (or, on a rainy day)?
11. Is there any part of China where it doesn't rain much? (Where?)
12. What effects can a shortage of rain (a drought) have on people's lives?
13. Does rain ever affect transportation in your hometown? (How?)
14. Do you think the seasons have changed in recent years, compared to the past? (Why? How?)
Friends and Family
1. Is family very important to you? (Why?)
2. How much time do you spend with your family?
3. Is friendship (= are friends) important to you? (Why?/Why not?)
4. Do you prefer to spend time with friends or spend time alone? (Why?)
5. What kind of people do you like to have as friends?
6. Do you like to spend time with friends? (Why?)
7. What do you and your friends do together?
8. Are friends more important than family? (Why?)
9. How do Chinese people make friends? (= where, in what situations, e.g. at school & at work.)
10. Do adults and children make friends in the same way?
11. Do you like meeting new people?
12. Do you think it's easy to form new friendships?
13. How long does it take to get to know a person?
Communication
1. Do you often write letters? (Or: How often do you write letters?)
2. Who do you usually write to and what do you write about?
3. Do you prefer to write letters or emails? (Why?)
4. What role do emails (or letters) play in your life? ( = Why do you write these emails or letters?)
5. What are the differences between handwritten letters and emails?
6. Do you think it is a good thing that some companies send out letters/spam emails for the purpose of advertising?
7. How do you keep in touch with (= keep in contact with) your friends and relatives?
8. What kinds of emails do you send and receive? (Business emails? Personal emails?)
9. Do you often make phone calls?
10. When do you make these phone calls?
11. Who do you call?
12. Are cell phones very popular in China? (Why?)
13. Which do you prefer to use, a cell phone or a normal house phone (Why?)
14. What are the differences between cell phones and typical house phones?
15. Which is better, a face-to-face conversation or a phone call? (why?)
Birds and Flowers
1. How do you feel about birds? (Why do you feel that way?)
2. Are there many birds near your home?
3. Do any birds have any particular significance in China? For example, does China have a national bird?
4. Do you think birds should be protected? (Why? / Why not? How can they be protected?)
5. Do Chinese people like raising (keeping) pet birds?
6. Do you like flowers? (Why?)
7. Which/What is your favorite flower?
8. What are the occasions when people send or receive flowers?
9. When was the last time you gave (sent) flowers to someone?
10. What meaning do flowers (= does giving flowers) have for Chinese people?
11. Do people in China like growing flowers?
12. Does anyone in your family like growing flowers?
Gifts
1. What was the last gift you received?
2. What was the last gift you gave someone?
3. Do you like giving presents to other people? (Why?/Why not?)
4. When do people in China give gifts? (On what occasions?)
5. Is there any special gift in China?
6. In China, is it necessary to bring a gift when you visit someone?
Parks and Public Gardens
1. Are there many parks or public gardens where you live (or, in your hometown)?
2. Do you think parks and public gardens are important to a city? (Why?/Why not?)
3. Do you ever go to any of these places?
4. How often do you go to any of these places?
5. What do you like to do when you go to a park or public garden?
6. What do other people do in these places?
7. Do you think the government should build more parks?
People’s Ages
1. What do you think is the most important age in a person's life? (Why?)
2. Are birthdays important in Chinese culture?
3. What birthday is most important in Chinese culture?
4. What age do you think is the happiest in people's lives?
5. What age in life is the most difficult? (Why?)
6. Do you like your present age? (Why?/Why not?) (= Would you prefer to be a different age to the age you are now?)
7. What age do you think will be the best (happiest?) in your future?