music

1. Do you often listen to music?

2. How much time do you spend listening to music every day?

3. Where do you listen to it?

4. How do you feel when you listen to this music?

5. Have you ever been to a musical performance?

6. What musical instrument is most popular in China?

7. Which instrument would you prefer to study – the piano or the violin?

8. What benefits do children gain by studying music?

9. Do you think it's important to learn to play a musical instrument?

10. Do you think schools should teach children how to play a musical instrument?

11. Is music an important subject at school in China?

12. Did you often listen to music when you were a child?

13. How does music affect people?

14. Compare the music that young people like and the music that old people like.

15. Why do many old people dislike pop music?

16. What are the differences between games and music?

17. Do you think songs composed through computer will replace those composed by musicians?

Sleeping

1. How many hours do you sleep everyday? Why?

2. Is it necessary to sleep enough?

3. How many hours do you think people should spend on sleeping everyday?

4. Is taking a nap important?

5. Do old people sleep a lot?

6. Do you think staying up late in a good thing?

? Was youHow many of hours sleep do you generally need per night?

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? What time do you usually go to bed? What time do you usually wake up? Do you manage to sleep as much as you need? If not, why not? Have you ever suffered from insomnia? Do you suffer from insomnia? Are you a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? What keeps you awake at night? (e.g. worrying too much about stuff, too much coffee, your partner's snoring, your neighbors' parties, an uncomfortable bed, a hot summer) Do you use, or have you ever used, any special methods that help you get to sleep?

? A strong nightcap?

? Sleeping pills?

? Herbal remedies?

? Counting sheep?

? Meditation?

Do you snore?

Do you talk in your sleep?

Do you ever oversleep?

Do you need an alarm clock to wake up?

Do you ever sleep in? (Sleep late in the morning)

Do you fall asleep while watching the TV or reading?

Do you have a nap at lunchtime or at another time of the day? Does it help?

What do you wear in bed? (I hope this question's not too personal!)

Do you have a duvet, or do you prefer sheets and a blanket? How big is your bed? Do you remember your dreams?

Do you have a recurring dreams?

Tell us about a memorable, enjoyable, or strange dream you've had?

Do you suffer from nightmares? Can you remember any specific nightmare?

Do you believe that it's possible to interpret dreams? Have you ever tried to interpret your own dreams?

Have you ever walked in your sleep? Do you know anyone who does?

7. r night life the same as that of now?

8.

Writing

1. Do you often write things?

2. What do you usually write?

3. How often do you send e-mails?

4. What are your main reasons for using e-mails?

5. Do you usually write by hand or write using a computer?

6. Do you think computers might one day replace handwriting?

7. When do children begin to write in your country?

8. Do you think handwriting is very important (nowadays)?

9. How can children today improve (or, practice) their handwriting?

10. What impression does a person's handwriting have on other people?

11. What kinds of letters are the most difficult to write?

12. In what ways will people communicate with each other?

Newspapers

1. What are the different ways people get news?

2. What types of news do you like?

3. Do you think children like (= are interested in) the news? (Why?/Why not?)

4. Are old people and young people interested in the same (kinds of) news?

5. How does the news affect people?

6. Do you often read newspapers?

7. Which do you prefer reading, magazines or newspapers?

8. Do you think it's important to read newspapers? (Why?/Why not?)

9. Why do (you think) people read newspapers?

10. What are some methods that newspapers use to attract readers?

11. What influence do you think newspapers have on society?

Concentration

1. Is it important to focus on things?

2. When do people need to concentrate on things?

3. Is it easy to focus on things?

4. Are you a multi-tasked person?( can you achieve two things simultaneously?)

5. How can people deal with two different things at the same time?

6. What jobs needs concentration more?

7. When in a day can people hardly concentrate?

8. How can we improve our concentration?

Boating

1. Do you like boating?

2. Why do you like it?

3. What have you ever done by boat?

4. Do Chinese people travel by boat?

Cars

1. Do you like cars?

2. Do you have a driver's license?

3. Do you (or your family) have a car?

4. Do you often drive it?

5. (If you don't have a car) Do you plan to buy a car in the future?

6. If you wanted to buy a car, what kind of car would you choose?

7. What model (= what brand) of car would you like to buy?

8. What kinds of cars are popular in your country?

9. Do you like traveling by car?

10. Who do you prefer to travel with?

11. Do you like to take long trips in a (your) car?

Cards

1. Do you ever receive letters or cards?

2. Do you receive many letters or cards?

3. When was the last time you received a card?

4. Do you (ever) give cards to your friends?

5. Have you ever given cards to your friends?

6. Which do you think is better, to send or receive a card or a letter? Arts

1. Do you like art? (Why?/Why not?)

2. What form of art do you like the most?

3. What kind of art are you best at?

4. In you childhood, what experience of art did you have?

5. Did you ever produce any artwork (or, works of art) when you were a child?

6. Do you ever buy (or, have you ever bought) a painting?

7. Do you think art is an important part of life?

8. What benefits does art bring to people?

9. How important do you think art is in the lives of people?

10. Why do you think people like to have a painting in their homes?

Health

1. What do you do to keep healthy?

2. How do people maintain good health?

3. What would you say is a "healthy lifestyle"?

4. Is there any sport that you would like to try in the future?

5. What activity that promotes good health?

Bags

1. What types of bags do you use?

2. What do you put in these bags?

3. Do you usually carry a bag when you go out?

4. What sorts of bags do women like to buy?

5. When you are buying a bag, what factors do you consider?

6. How do you make your choice when you are buying a bag?

7. Do you think the style of a bag is very important? (Why?/Why not?)

8. Do you have a bag for special occasions?

Museums

1. Are there many (or, any) museums in your hometown?

2. Do you think museums are useful for visitors to your hometown/country?

3. Do you often visit a museum?

4. Did you go to any museums when you were a child?

5. When was the last time you visited a museum?

6. Do you think museums are important?

7. Do you think it's suitable for museums to sell things to visitors?

8. What do you think is the role of museums and art galleries?

9. Which kind of art do you think is more important, the art we see in the cinema or the art we see in art galleries and museums?

10. Do you think going to museums and art galleries is beneficial for children?

11. Do schools in China have excursions to museums?

12. Do you think teachers should take their students on visits to museums?

Dancing

1. Do you like to dance? (Why?/Why not?)

2. Have you ever learned to dance?

3. When was the last time you danced?

4. What kind of dancing do Chinese people like?

5. Why do you think some (or, many) people like dancing?

6. Do you think there are any benefits for young people to go dancing?

7. When do Chinese people like to dance?

8. Does China have any traditional dances?

9. Is traditional dance still popular today in China? (Why?/Why not?)

10. Is there much difference between traditional dancing and modern dancing?

11. What kinds of dancing are popular with young people in China?

12. Do old people in China like the same kind of dancing as young people?

13. What do you think is the influence of dance on society?

14. Do you like to watch dance performances?

Entertainment

1. What do you do for entertainment?

2. What did you do for entertainment when you were a child?

3. What do (other) people do for entertainment around where you live?

4. What choices for entertainment are there for young people around where you live?

5. Are there any entertainment places near your school (or university)?

6. Have you recently been to any place for entertainment?

7. Do you think modern lifestyles give people enough time for leisure?

Friends

1. Do you have many (close) friends?

2. Are most of your friends from school (or university) or from outside school (or university)?

3. Do you think friendship is important?

4. Do you prefer to spend time with friends or spend time alone? (Why?)

5. Are friends more important than family? (Why?)

6. What kind of people do you like to have as friends?

7. If you had the opportunity, would you spend more time with your friends?

8. What do you and your friends do together?

9. Do you prefer to meet your friends at home or away from your home?

10. How do you keep in contact with your friends?

11. Do you like meeting new people?

12. Do you like making friends with (a lot of) people?

13. Do you like face-to-face conversations with people?

14. Do adults and children make friends in the same way?

15. Do you think it's possible to become real friends with the people you meet on the internet, for example, on chat sites or personal introduction sites?

Leisure time

1. When do you have free time?

2. How do you like to relax?

3. How do you relax?

4. How do you usually relax (in your spare time)?

5. Do you have enough time for your hobby?

6. How much time do you spend relaxing?

7. What do you do on weekends?

8. Do you think modern people have enough time for relaxing?

9. What can people do to find more time for relaxing?

10. Do you often do things with others in a group?

11. Do you ever go out with your workmates/colleagues or classmates?

12. Do you prefer to do things in a family group or a group of friends?

13. What leisure activities do you and your family like doing together?

14. In your leisure time, what do you usually do with your friends or family?

15. Do you think it's important to spend your leisure time with your family?

Time

1. Would you say you are good at managing your time?

2. Do you wear a watch?

3. Do you think time is very important?

4. Do you think time management is important?

5. Have you ever been late for anything?

6. Were there any serious consequences when you were late?

7. How do you feel when you are late?

8. When do you feel time moves fast?

9. When do you feel time moves slowly?

10. If you could go back in time, would you do?

11. Do you think punctuality is important?

12. What are some examples of occasions when it's important to be on time?

13. How would you feel if the person you were waiting to meet with was not on time?

14. Do you think older people and younger people both have the same attitudes towards punctuality?

15. Do you think parents should try to teach their children about time management?

Housework

1. Do people in your country do much housework?

2. In your home, who does the housework?

3. Do you do much housework?

4. What housework do you like to do?

5. What housework did you do when you were a child?

6. Do you think children should do housework?

7. Do you feel people in your country have enough time to do housework?

8. Do you think people like doing housework by themselves?

9. Do you usually do any housework?

10. Do you like to do housework?

11. What housework do you least like doing?

12. If a child helps do some of the family housework, how do you think this affects the child's development?

13. What do you do to help the family?

14. Have there been any changes in the housework people do since the time when your parents were your age?

15. Do you think people should be paid to do household chores?

work

1. What job do you do?

2. What is the nature of that work?

3. Why did you choose to do that job?

4. Is that a popular choice of career in your country?

5. Would you say your job is very important?

6. How do you think your subject will help you in the future?

7. How did you get that job?

8. Is it easy to find work doing your job?

9. Where do people get information about jobs, from newspaper or from TV?

10. Are there other ways for people to get information about jobs?

11. Which do you enjoy more, communicating with people at work, or the work itself?

12. Which do you enjoy more, working or studying?

13. What do you like about your work?

14. Do you think it's very important for people to do a job that they like?

15. What other job do you think you would enjoy, apart from your present job?

Hometown

1. Where do you come from?

2. What tourist attractions are there in your hometown? Would a foreign visitor enjoy them?

3. Did you learn much about the history of your hometown in school?

4. What do you think needs to change in your hometown?

5. What place(s) in your hometown do you go to in your spare time?

6. Why did you choose to live here/there?

7. What do you like about your hometown?

8. What do you think needs to be done to make your hometown a better place to live in?

9. For you, what benefits are there to living in a big city?

10. What facilities does your hometown have?

11. What sorts of buildings are there in your hometown?

12. What's the most attractive part of your hometown?

13. What forms of transport do visitors use to come to your hometown?

14. How could your hometown attract more visitors?

15. Has the weather in your hometown changed much in recent years?

Photography

1. Do you like to take photographs?

2. How did you become interested in photography?

3. In what situations do you take photographs?

4. What kind of photos do you like to take?

5. Do you prefer to take pictures of people or of scenery?

6. How do you keep your photos?

7. Do you frame any of your photos?

8. Do you prefer to send postcards to people or to send photos that you took yourself?

9. Is photography a popular hobby in China?

10. Why do some people do not like taking photographs?

11. Why do you think some people like taking photographs when they visit another place?

12. Do Chinese people like to visit photograph exhibitions?

13. What kind of photos do they like to look at?

14. Do you think being a photographer would be a good job?

15. What factors make a good photograph?

Weekends

1. What do you do in your spare time?

2. What do you usually do on weekends?

3. When do you spend time with your family?

4. What do other people in your hometown usually do on weekends?

5. What are you going to do next weekend?

6. Do you feel that weekends are more important to you than when you were a child?

7. Which do you prefer, Saturday or Sunday? (Why?)

8. Would you say weekends are important to people?

9. How does the average person in China spend his or her weekend?

10. Do you know anyone who works at the weekend?

11. Should people be working or resting on Saturdays and Sundays?

12. Is it important for people to have weekends off?

13. Should people be paid overtime for working at the weekend?

Schools

1. What was the first school you attended?

2. How old were you when you started school?

3. Where did you go to school? ?

4. Where was it?

5. Tell me something about the school. (= Can you describe it?)

6. Was it far from your home?

7. How did you go to (or, travel to) school?

8. Did you like it?

9. What were the good things about that school?

10. Would you say it was a good school?

11. Would you send your child to that school today?

12. What different types of schools have you been to?

13. Which school did you like the most? (Why?)

14. Did your parents choose your secondary school (= high school) for you?

Names

1. Does your name have any special meaning?

2. When Chinese people name their children, are there any special customs that are followed?

3. Is there any special ceremony when babies are given their names?

4. How are Chinese names and Western names different?

5. What name do people at home call you?

6. Do many people in China have a nickname?

7. Are there any big differences between people's names today in China and people's names many years ago?

8. Do Chinese people like to have common names?

9. Why are some Chinese names very similar to each other?

10. Do Chinese people today usually have a third name?

11. Is your surname very common in China?

12. What's the most common surname in China?

13. Do Chinese people attach a lot of importance to names?

14. Do people in China ever change their names?

15. Would you like to change your name?

Weather & Season

1. What's the weather usually like in your country (or, your hometown)?

2. How is the weather here different to the weather in your home country?

3. Would you say the weather in your hometown is suitable for working (or studying)?

4. Would you like to move to a place with different weather?

5. What sort of weather do you like the most?

6. What season do you like best?

7. What do you do in that season?

8. What season (or weather) do you think is most suitable for work and/or study?

9. Has the weather in your country changed much in the past few years?

10. Do you prefer hot or cold weather?

11. Do you (usually) pay attention to the weather forecasts?

Mobile Phones

1. Do you have a mobile phone?

2. Is your cell phone important for you in your daily life?

3. What do you use it for?

4. How often do you use it?

5. When did you get your first mobile phone?

6. How did you get your first mobile phone?

7. How did you feel when you got your first mobile phone?

8. Have mobile phones developed (or changed) in the past few years?

9. What feature (or, function) of your cell phone do you like the best?

10. Is there anything you dislike about using cell phones?

11. Have you ever had any problems using your mobile phone while traveling?

12. Do you usually use your mobile phone to call people or to send text messages?

13. Who do you usually call/send text messages to?

14. Do you think you will be using your mobile phone more (than you use it now) in the future?

15. How do you think mobile phones will develop (or change) in the future?

Internet

1. Have you ever bought anything on the internet?

2. What do you think is the best way to learn about the internet?

3. Is there anything you don't understand about the internet?

4. Do you think the internet is a good thing?

5. Is there anything that's not so good about the internet?

6. Do you think the use of the internet needs to be controlled?

7. Is the internet very popular in China?

8. What kinds of people most often use the internet?

9. What age group of people most often uses the internet?

10. How can people best make use of the internet?

11. In general, what impact does the internet have on people's lives?

12. How can people learn things on the internet?

13. What sorts of things can people learn on the internet?

14. What do you think are the benefits of "e-learning"?

15. Do you think information on the internet is very reliable?

Clothes

1. Do you think it's important what clothes a person wears? (Why?/Why not?)

2. Is it important what clothes you wear at your job? (your company)

3. Do you think the clothes a person wears leaves an impression on others?

4. What kinds/styles of clothes do you like (or, prefer) to wear? (Why?)

5. Do you wear the same clothes both at work and after work?

6. Do you wear the same kinds of clothes in winter and summer?

7. Do your friends have the same tastes in clothes as you?

8. What kinds of (or, style of) clothes do people in your country like to wear?

9. Do you think you will still be wearing the same kinds of clothes when you are old?

10. Do you prefer informal or formal clothes? (Why?)

11. Do you feel comfortable when wearing formal clothes? (Why?/Why not?)

12. Do you think formal clothes are important?

13. When do people wear formal clothes?

14. Are you very interested in fashion (or, clothes fashions)?

Transportation

1. How did you get to the test today? (What form of transportation did you use?)

2. Why did you choose that form of transport?)

3. Do you often use public transportation?

4. What kind(s) of transport do you usually use?

5. For you, what are the benefits (advantages) of using that form of transportation?

6. Is it very expensive (= very dear)?

7. Is transportation very important where you live?

8. What's the most common means of (= form of) transport in your hometown?

9. What do you think of the transport conditions in your hometown?

10. How do you think the transport system could be improved?

11. Do you think transportation costs (gasoline, subway, bus & taxi fares, etc) are expensive in your hometown?

12. How has the transport system in your hometown changed in the past few decades?

13. How do you think transport (in your hometown) will change in the future (or, in the next 20 or 30 years)?

14. In China, is transportation in the big cities the same as transportation in small towns and villages? Parks

1. Are there many parks or public gardens where you live (or, in your hometown)?

2. Do you often (or, ever) go to a park or a (public) garden?

3. How often do you go there?

4. What do you (like to) do when you go to a park or public garden?

5. What do other people do in these places?

6. When do other people go there?

7. Do you think parks and public gardens are important to a city?

8. Do you think every city and town should have parks and public gardens?

9. What do you think are the functions of parks and public gardens?

Studies

1. Do you work or are you a student?

2. What subject are you studying?

3. Why did you choose to study that subject?

4. Is that a popular subject in your country?

5. Do you think it's popular because people want to gain knowledge or is there some other reason?

6. What are the most popular subjects in China?

7. Why did you choose that university?

8. Do you have any recreational or entertainment activities at your school/university?

9. Do you think it's important to choose a subject you like?

10. What are your favourite classes/ courses/ subjects at university?

11. What's the most interesting part of your subject?

12. What are your future work plans?

13. How will you get the job you want?

14. Why are you taking the IELTS test?

15. In addition to gaining knowledge, what other ways have you benefited from your school/university experience? Accommodation

1. Can you describe the place where you live?

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

15. What do you usually do in your house/flat/room? Are the transport facilities to your home very good? Please describe the room you live in. Is there anything you don't like about the place where you live? What kind of decorations does it have? How do you think this room could be improved? What can you see when you look out the window of your room? How well do you know your neighbors? What kind of people are your neighbors? Do you spend much time socializing with your neighbors in your neighbors' homes? Do you like the environment where you live? Would you say the place where you live is good for families with children? In the future, what type of place would you like to live in? What kind of neighborhood/environment/surroundings would you like to live in?