Oral Exam Topics：Main List

Oral Exam Topics：Main List These questions have been selected for the usefulness of their vocabulary and grammar. All questions use common, everyday English words. There are not any special or unusual words here. The grammar is typical American or British vernacular and representative of the way Americans, Canadians, and British actually speak. Many questions are repeated in different forms and expressed in different ways, but all of these different forms are in common usage. Students should review these questions to ensure they know all of the vocabulary. These are the questions that will be used in tests and exams. If you know the vocabulary and understand the question, then you will be able to respond well in an exam. Topics   Age: Youth & Old Age 01   Does age make us more aware of and caring for others? 02   Should adults try to teach young people lessons, such as the dangers of drinking too much, or taking drugs or the AIDS virus, or should they leave them alone to find out about these things themselves? 03   What do you think is the best age to be? 04   Most countries give young people rights as they reach a certain age. For example, British people can legally have sex or fight for their country at the age of 16; they can drink, vote and drive a car when they are 18. Do you think these age limits are a good thing? 05   Some people think you should give something to society before you have the right to join it. Should young people have to do some form of military or community service before they can become full citizens? 06   Should people of between 50 and 55 years old be forced to retire from their jobs in order to make way for younger workers? 07   If people are still able to (and want to) work, should they be forced to retire when they reach a certain age? 08   In most countries the legal retirement age for men is 5 years older than for women, even though women live longer than men on average. Why do you think this is? Is this fair, or should it be changed? 09   Are there many things that the old can teach the young or do you think they are “out of touch” by the time they reach a certain age? 10   In Russia, China and many other countries, there is a tradition of choosing leaders who are quite old. Do you think that older people make better leaders? 11   Some people say that men age better than women, and remain attractive longer – do you agree? 12   In most countries women live an average of 5 to 6 years longer than men. Why do you think this is? 13   In some countries having children is considered a way of "investing in the future", and young people are expected to give money to their parents when they get a job, and then to care for them when they retire. What are the good points and what are the bad points about this system? 14   Many countries are facing the problem of an "aging population", i.e. there will soon be more old people than young people. What problems will this cause? Animals & Pets 01   What kinds of animals do humans ride?  02   Can you name some endangered species? 03   Do you think it is acceptable to test cosmetics on animals? 04   How do you feel about the use of animals for medical research? 05   Do you think it is right to keep wild animals in a zoo? 06   Do you think its okay to free animals that have been in captivity all their lives?  07   Have you ever been to a zoo? What animals did you see there? 08   If you could be an animal, which animal would you choose to be? Why? 09   What animals are symbols of your country? Why are they symbols？ 10   What animals do you think are the most dangerous? 11   Why do some people have pets? 12   Do you think animals have souls? Annoying Things 01   What annoys you about living where you live now? 02   What annoys you about taking trains? 03   Do you get annoyed when someone cuts in front of you when you are waiting in line? 04   Do you get annoyed when other people display bad manners? 05   What are some things that car drivers do that annoy you? Beauty & Physical Attractiveness 01   Who do you think is the most beautiful person in China today? 02   Who was the most beautiful person in Chinese history? 03   Does beauty affect one's success in life? 04   Which is it better; to be physically attractive, or intelligent? 05   Which is it better; to be physically attractive, or wealthy? 06   Do people spend too much time and money on their appearance? 07   Do you think people should have cosmetic surgery to enhance their looks? 08   What do you think of the proverb, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" 09   How do you define “beauty”? 10   Which would you want your children to be; beautiful, or talented? Celebrities 01   Which celebrity would you most like to meet? What would you do if you could spend a day with this person? 02   Do you think famous people have the right to have a private life? 03   What do you think of the papparazzi? 04   What are the pros and cons of being a celebrity? 05   Did you have any celebrity heroes when you were a teenager? Children 01   If you could have as many children as you want, how many children would you like to have? 02   Do you enjoy being with children? 03   When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 04   What is the most important thing that we need to teach children? 05   Do you think that children are naturally good or do they need to be taught how to be good? Cities 01   Why do you like or dislike living in the city? 02   What are some of the advantages of living in a city? 03   What are some of the disadvantages of living in a city? 04   Which is your favorite city? Why? 05   What do you think can be done to improve living condition in cities? 06   What are some differences between living in the city and living in the country? 07   Which city anywhere in the world would you most want to visit？ Classrooms 01   What do you like most about your classroom? 02   Do you think the teacher should assign seats to students, or should students be free to sit where they want? 03   Do you enjoy changing classrooms for different classes, or would you rather do all of your classes in the same room? 04   What is the ideal seating plan or arrangement in an oral English classroom? 05   Do you think that smart students always sit in front? Clothing Styles 01   Do you think that the clothes we wear reflect what is inside of us? 02   What do you think of people who always and only wear dark colours? 03   What colors do you choose to wear when you are happy? 04   When you go out with a group of school friends, do you dress differently than when you go out with your parents? 05   What is the difference in the people who choose to wear contacts and the people who choose to were glasses? 06   Why is it acceptable for women to wear men's clothing, but not for men to dress in women's clothing? 07   What traditional costumes do people from your province wear?