1. People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
2. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
4. It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
8. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
9. Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
12. Many people visit museums when they travel to new places. Why do you think people visit museums? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
14. Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you aGREe with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
16. It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
18. What are some important qualities of a good supervisor (boss)? Use specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important.
19. Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
20. It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you aGREe or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.
21. In general, people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
22. We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co- worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to explain why these characteristics are important.
23. In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.
24. A person you know is planning to move to your town or city. What do you think this person would like and dislike about living in your town or city? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
26. It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
27. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
28. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Television, newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.
29. Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
30. It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in your community. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details in your answer.
31. Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.
32. Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
33. You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
34. Businesses should hire employees for their entire lives. Do you aGREe or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
35. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Attending a live performance (for example, a play, concert, or sporting event) is more enjoyable than watching the same event on television. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. 36. Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why you think it has changed people's lives. O automobiles O bicycles O airplanes Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
37. Do you aGREe or disagree that progress is always good? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
38. Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. Do you aGREe or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
39. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? With the help of technology, students nowadays can learn more information and learn it more quickly. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
40. The expression "Never, never give up" means to keep trying and never stop working for your goals. Do you aGREe or disagree with this statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
41. Some people think that human needs for farmland, housing, and industry are more important than saving land for endangered animals. Do you aGREe or disagree with this point of view? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
42. What is a very important skill a person should learn insgroupsto be successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
43. Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
44. Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
45. Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day's work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
91. If you could ask a famous person one question, what would you ask? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
92. Some people prefer to live in places that have the same weather or climate all year long. Others like to live in areasswheresthe weather changes several times a year. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
93. Many students have to live with roommates while going to school or university. What are some of the important qualities of a good roommate? Use specific reasons and examples to explain why these qualities are important.
94. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Dancing plays an important role in a culture. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
95. Some people think governments should spend as much money as possible exploring outer space (for example, traveling to the Moon and to other planets). Other people disaGREe and think governments should spend this money for our basic needs on Earth. Which of these two opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
96. People have different ways of escaping the stress and difficulties of modern life. Some read; some exercise; others work in their gardens. What do you think are the best ways of reducing stress? Use specific details and examples in your answer.
97. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
98. If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an international exhibition, what would you choose? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
99. You have been told that dormitory rooms at your university must be shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
103. In your opinion, what is the most important characteristic (for example, honesty, intelligence, a sense of humor) that a person can have to be successful in life? Use specific reasons and examples from your experience to explain your answer. When you write your answer, you are not limited to the examples listed in the question. 105. Students at universities often have a choice of places to live. They may choose to live in university dormitories, or they may choose to live in apartments in the community. Compare the advantages of living in university housing with the advantages of living in an apartment in the community.swhereswould you prefer to live? Give reasons for your preference.
106. You need to travel from your home to a place 40 miles (64 kilometers) away. Compare the different kinds of transportation you could use. Tell which method of travel you would choose. Give specific reasons for your choice.
107. Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you aGREe with? Explain why.
110. Some people prefer to spend most of their time alone. Others like to be with friends most of the time. Do you prefer to spend your time alone or with friends? Use specific reasons to support your answer.
111. Some people prefer to spend time with one or two close friends. Others choose to spend time with a large number of friends. Compare the advantages of each choice. Which of these two ways of spending time do you prefer? Use specific reasons to support your answer.
112. Some people think that children should begin their formal education at a very early age and should spend most of their time on school studies. Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare these two views. Which view do you aGREe with? Why?
113. The government has announced that it plans to build a new university. Some people think that your community would be a good place to locate the university. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a new university in your community. Use specific details in your discussion.
115. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
116. People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use specific examples to support your choice.
118. Some people enjoy change, and they look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do you prefer? Explain why.
119. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? People behave differently when they wear different clothes. Do you agree that different clothes influence the way people behave? Use specific examples to support your answer.
120. Decisions can be made quickly, or they can be made after careful thought. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? The decisions that people make quickly are always wrong. Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.
123. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.
124. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for students to study history and literature than it is for them to study science and mathematics. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
125. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
126. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? There is nothing that young people can teach older people. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
127. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Reading fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable than watching movies. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
129. A university plans to develop a new research center in your country. Some people want a center for business research. Other people want a center for research in agriculture (farming). Which of these two kinds of research centers do you recommend for your country? Use specific reasons in your recommendation.
130. Some young children spend a GREat amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
131. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
133. Do you aGREe or disagree with the following statement? A person's childhood years (the time from birth to twelve years of age) are the most important years of a person's life. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
