University

· What has your first year at the university been like? Have you ever regretted your choice? Do you have enough time to enjoy yourself after classes? What are the most difficult subjects for you here? What are the most interesting subjects? What facilities does the university offer for those who want to make progress in their studies? Do you have enough time to enjoy yourself after classes? What hi-tech facilities are available at the university? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using computer-enhanced methods in education?

· What British university will you take a post graduate course at if an opportunity arises? What makes it a great place to study at?

· Which is the oldest British university? Oxford is not only an ancient seat of learning but a popular tourist attraction, isn’t it? What makes it a popular tourist attraction? Why is it sometimes difficult for the residents of Oxford to live their daily lives?

2. Family, Home, Leisure

· Are you an only child? Do you agree with the idea that there are no benefits in having brothers or sisters? What makes you think so? How many children would you like to have in your family?

· What is a typical English family like? Who is the breadwinner in the average English middle-class family?

· How do you like the idea of shopping from home? Is shopping from home possible in this country? How can it be done? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of shopping?

· What does leisure mean for you? What kinds of leisure activities are popular with young people in this country? Why do people have more leisure time now than half a century ago? Why do researchers say that leisure activities are affected by class?

· What is the most favourite private pastime for the average Briton? What do the British grow in their gardens? What other home-based activities are they engaged in?

· Americans are rather sociable people, aren’t they? How is it reflected in the way they spend their leisure time?

3. Work

· How do you see your future career? Would you like to work in Russia (your country) or abroad? Where would you like to work, in the state or in the private sector? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in the state and in the private sectors of the economy?

· What business opportunities do new technologies offer? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working from home? Do you think that an accountant, a businessman or a financier can work from home? What does business success depend on? What qualities are important for a successful businessperson?

· What is the role of each individual citizen in the structure of the national economy?

4. Entertainments

· Mass media

o Where do you usually learn the news from – newspapers, the radio, television or the Internet? How do you explain your choice?

o What two major categories do British national newspapers fall into? What kind of readers do “quality papers” cater for? (What kind of information do they offer?) What are the distinctive features of tabloids?

o What does BBC stand for? Why does the BBC broadcast news in 35 languages? Do you watch or listen to BBC World Service? Which news agencies do you find most reliable? Why?

o Do you take weather forecasts seriously? Have you ever been misled by weather forecasts? What did it lead to? What is the weather forecast for the next week? Where did you get the information (Where can you get the information?)

Television:

o How can you prove that television has an enormous effect on Americans? Why do advertisers pay more money for time during popular shows?

o What is the most favourite pastime for the average Briton? Why are people becoming more and more consumers of entertainment?

o Why is it not quite accurate to say that people watch television? How does television influence the viewers? Who profits from sit-back and watch entertainments? What other pleasures of life are most people deprived of?

o What is your favourite entertainment? Why do you enjoy doing it? What role do new technologies play in making various kinds of entertainment more accessible to everyone? Why do doctors and psychologies describe computer addiction as a disease? Do you share this opinion? Why?

o What other opportunities does television offer besides entertainment? How do religious leaders of a new kind use the advantages of new technologies?

o TV channels sometimes offer programmes about mysterious things. Do you personally believe in the existence of aliens? What makes you think they (do not) exist? What do scientists say about the possibility of existence of aliens? What other mysterious things cannot be explained by scientists? What explanation can you think of? Some people now claim that the Egyptian pyramids were built by aliens. Do you share this belief? Why (not)?

The Cinema and the Theatre:

o What role does television play in supporting arts in Britain/Russia? How does television promote various art forms? What novels have recently seen a revival of public interest due to television? Do you think that screened versions of novels and plays can be an adequate substitute for books? The film version of a book is not always faithful to the original, is it? Which is more appealing to you, to read the original or to watch a film made out of it? Why?

o Which do you prefer, watching a play on television or going to the theatre? When did you last go to the theatre? What did you see? Who played the leading part? What are the main theatrical attractions in Moscow? What is the general attitude to the cinema and the theatre in the USA/Great Britain?

o What is New York’s theatre district? What does the term ‘Broadway’ imply? What is the indicator of success in show business?

o Would you like to work in the film industry? What about being an actor/actress? Have you ever taken part in amateur performances? When was it? Were you a success?

o Do you think actors and producers are influential people? What makes them influential? Would you like to become an influential person? In what way can you achieve that?

Sports

o Do you do any sports? What sports do you play/take? What sports facilities does the university offer? What is the highest award for an athlete? When and where are the next Olympic Games taking place? Why do some athletes resort to extreme measures in their efforts to win the Olympic Games? (Why do some athletes welcome any kind of scandal associated with their names?) Do you think a professional athlete can make a career in business when they retire from sports? What makes you think so? What kind of a person can make a career in business?

o When do children enter the world of professional sport? Why? What are the advantages and disadvantages for a child to begin a sport at an early age? What happens to young sport stars when they grow up?

o Do you agree with the idea that commercialization promotes the development of sports? What makes you think so?

5. Food and Drink

· Why has fast food become part of our life? What are the typical and most popular kinds of fast food? What kind of fast food do the British enjoy most? How was fish and chips sold until recently? What is the origin of the word ‘sandwich’? Why are doctors worried about the increasing consumption of fast food?

· Where does tea come from? What countries are the main exporters of tea?

6. Travelling and holiday-making

· Where are you planning to go for a holiday? Do you usually spend your holidays with your friends or with your parents? Why?

· Where are you planning to go for a holiday? Do you usually spend your holidays with your friends or with your parents? Why?

· How do young Europeans and Americans spend their holidays? What are the most popular places for holiday making in winter?

· Do you take weather forecasts into account while planning your holiday? How can the weather affect your holiday-making? How can the weather spoil a camping holiday?

· What kind of holiday can the average middle-class family enjoy? What is one entitled to when one buys a package tour? What are the advantages and disadvantages of package holidays?

· Many British middle-class families spend their holidays in various camp and caravan sites exploring the beauties of their own country, don’t they? What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a caravan?

· Do you always realize that the things surrounding us are real marvels or do you usually take them for granted? Is travelling by air a wonder or a routine thing for you?

7. City

· What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city? If you remember, Jules Verne predicted a gloomy future for giant cities like Paris. Which of his predictions have come true? How can this flood of inventions be explained?

· Buckingham Palace is one of the sights of London which attracts crowds of tourists, isn’t it? Why? What other sights of London, besides Buckingham Palace, are worth seeing?

8. New technologies

· How much does society depend on computer technologies? What troubling consequences has technological progress led to? How can society control the misuse of new technologies?

· What machine-readable documents do we/you use? How long did it take you to get used to machine-readable documents? What possible risks can computerised businesses face?

9. Arts

· Literature

o What kind of literature do you prefer reading? Why? What famous writers were engaged in other professional activities along with their literary activities?

o Which is the highest award for people engaged in literature? What English, American, Russian and Soviet writers were awarded the Nobel prize for literature? Why was the Nobel Fund created?

· Museums and Galleries

o When did you go to a museum (an art gallery) last? What museum was it? How did you like it?

o What are the main artistic attractions of London? Where is the National Gallery situated? What kind of paintings does it exhibit? Which gallery exhibits the works of British artists? (Who was it founded by?) What outstanding English artists are represented in the Tate Gallery? What art galleries did you go to (would you like to go to) in London? What kind of paintings do they exhibit?

o What art galleries and museums in Russia attract the attention of foreign tourists? Why? What are the richest picture galleries in Russia? Who was the Tretyakov Gallery founded by? In what galleries can one see the works of Venetian masters such as Bellini, Titian and Tintoretto?

o What artistic centres of Russia, besides Moscow, are frequently visited by tourists? What are they famous for? How does tourism affect the economic development of such places?

10. Learning languages and cultures

· What other foreign languages besides English you would like to learn and why? In what countries do they speak English / French / German / Spanish? What languages are spoken in the UK? What other languages besides German and Romansch are spoken in Switzerland?

· What is the general attitude to language learning in Russia (the country you are from)? What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning a language from a native speaker? When is it better to visit the country where the language is spoken – when you are just starting to learn the language or after you’ve been learning the language for a few years? What makes you think so?

· Why is English becoming a language of international communication? Why it is important for a successful politician or businessman to know foreign languages? National cultures affect business practices, don’t they? What should a Russian remember about business behaviour with partners from foreign countries? / What should one remember about business behaviour with partners from Britain, the USA, Germany, Japan? Do you agree with the saying ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’? What advice could you give to someone coming to live and work in Russia (in your country)?

· What British or American customs do you find interesting or amusing? Are there any similar customs in Russia (in your country)?

· The USA is a multicultural country. Why do Americans celebrate Irish, Jewish, Chinese, French and other ethnic holidays and festivals? What are these holidays and festivals? What does the Fourth of July mean for every American? How is Independence Day celebrated?

· How could you describe a typical Briton? How do Britons differ from Americans?

· Is Wales an independent nation? What distinctive features make Wales different from the rest of the country? (Its own flag, culture, language) What languages are spoken in Wales? What is the most widely spoken language? What group of languages does Welsh belong to? Where are Celtic languages spoken today? What is the government doing to let the Welsh language survive?

11. Great Britain

· How can the political system of the UK be described? Who is head of state? Why do the English say that the Queen reigns but does not rule? Who does legislative power belong to? What does Parliament consist of? What is the seat of Parliament? Who does executive power belong to?

· What is the financial centre of the UK? Why is the City often called ‘The Square Mile of Money’?

· What industries does Britain excel in? Which sector or branch of industry brings more profit to the country?

12. The USA

· What state is the capital city located in?

· Is the USA an industrial or an agricultural country? What are farmers engaged in? What are the principal crops in the USA? What is the country’s main source of power?

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 935