Do you agree with the idea?

 

Vocabulary Practice

friend [‘frend] n.

1. a person, not a relation, who one knows and likes well

e.g. She is my best friend.

e.g. He has been a good friend to me.

to make friends (with smb.) = to be (become) a friend of a person

 

2. a helpful thing or quality

e.g. Among gossips, silence can be your best friend.

 

3. a helper or sympathizer

e.g. a good friend of the poor.

 

friendly [‘frendli] adj. (-ier, -iest); opp. - unfriendly

1. friendly (to, towards, with smb.) acting or ready to act as a friend

to be on friendly terms with smb.

 

2. (attrib.) kind

 

3. (attrib) helping

friendliness n., opp. hostility

friendship [‘frend∫ip] n. (an instance, period, of)

the feeling of relationship that exists between friends.

e.g. I enjoy my friendship with her.

e.g. We have enjoyed a friendship of 20 years.

 

Synonyms to friendship:

affection, alliance, association, attachment, closeness, fellowship, fondness, harmony, intimacy, rapport, relationship.

 

Synonyms to friend:

acquaintance, associate, inf. buddy, inf. chum, companion, comrade, confidant(e), inf. crony, intimate, inf. mate, pal, partner, playmate, supporter, well-wisher.

opp. enemy

 

• What does it mean to be a good friend?

• What kind of friend shall I be?

• Who will I include in my circle of friends?

• How shall I treat my friends?

• How do I cope with the loss of a friend?

• What can I learn about friends and friendships from the novels we read in school?

• How can I be a better friend?

 

YOU

Describe yourself.

FAMILY

    • Describe your family?
    • Do you have a large or small family?
    • How much time do you spend with your family?
    • What do you like to do together as a family?
    • Do you get along well with your family?
    • Are people in your country generally close to their families?

WORK

    • What do you do?
    • What are your responsibilities?
    • How many hours do you work each day?
    • Do you enjoy your work?
    • Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
    • If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
    • Describe the process of getting a job in your country.
    • Describe the company or organization you work for.
    • What is your position?
    • What do you like about your job?
    • What do you dislike about your job?

EDUCATION

    • Describe your education.
    • What kind of school did you go to as a child?
    • Did you go to a co-educational school?
    • What was your favourite subject as a child?
    • Who was your favourite teacher?
    • What is the education system like in your country?
    • Do you think your country has an effective education system?

STUDIES

  • What are you studying now?
  • What is your area of specialization?

HOMETOWN

    • Describe your hometown.
    • What’s special about it?
    • Where is your hometown located?
    • Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
    • What is it known for?
    • What do people in your town do?
    • What are the main industries in your hometown?
    • What problems face your hometown?
    • What languages are spoken in your hometown?
    • What are the advantages of living in your hometown?
    • What are some problems faced by your hometown?
    • Compare your hometown with another city.
    • What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?

WEATHER

    • What’s the weather like in your country?
    • Does the weather affect your mood?
    • How do rainy days make you feel?
    • What’s your favourite season of the year?
    • What do you like to do when it’s hot?
    • What do you usually do in the winter?
    • How many seasons does your country have?

HOME

    • Describe your home.
    • What kind of building do you live in?
    • How long have you lived there?

WEDDING

    • Have you ever been to a wedding?
    • Whose wedding was it?
    • Where was it held?
    • What clothes do people wear?
    • Describe the wedding ceremony.
    • What sort if gifts do people buy for the bridal couple?
    • What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?

TRAVEL

    • Do you like to travel?
    • What kind of places have you visited in your life?
    • Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
    • What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?

COMPUTERS

    • Do you think computers help society?
    • Do you think computers are bad for health?
    • How do you think computers have changed the world?

INTERNET

    • Do you use the Internet much during the day?
    • What do you usually do on the Internet?
    • What are some advantages of the Internet?
    • What are some disadvantages?
    • Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?
    • Do you do any shopping on the Internet?

EMAIL

    • Do you send and receive email regularly?
    • Who do you usually communicate with?
    • How often do you check your email?
    • Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?
    • What are some disadvantages of email?

FRIEND

    • Describe a friend.
    • How long have you known each other?
    • What do usually do together?
    • What do you like the most about him / her?
    • How often do you see each other?

PLACE

    • Describe a place you like to go.
    • Why is this place special to you?
    • When did you first visit this place?
    • Where is this place located?
    • What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?

SMOKING

    • What do you feel about smoking in public places?
    • Do you think smoking should be banned in people’s homes?

MARRIAGE

    • What is the attitude toward marriage in your country?
    • Do most young people plan on getting married in your country?
    • What are some of the advantages of marriage?
    • What are some of the disadvantages?
    • Is the divorce rate high in your country?
    • Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?

HOBBIES

    • Do you have any hobbies?
    • What are some of your hobbies?
    • When did you first develop tis hobby?
    • What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?
    • How much time do you spend on your hobby?

FILMS

    • Do you enjoy watching movies?
    • What’s your favourite film?
    • Who are your favourite actors?
    • How often do you watch films?

SHOPPING

    • Do you enjoy shopping?
    • How do you feel about shopping?
    • Do you like shopping on the Internet?
    • Do you have any favourite stores?
    • What don’t you like about shopping?
    • Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?

SPORTS

    • Do you like sports?
    • Do you enjoy watching sports?
    • Do you enjoy participating in any sports?
    • Which sports are most popular in your country?
    • What’s your favourite sport/
    • When did you first become interested in sports?
    • How often do you participate in sports?
    • What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?

FOOD

    • What are some of your favourite foods?
    • What foods are popular in your country?
    • What are some of the famous dishes of your country?
    • Do you enjoy cooking?

FESTIVAL

    • What’s the most important festival in your country?
    • How do people celebrate this festival?
    • What special food is associated with this festival?
    • What special activities are associated with this festival?
    • What do you enjoy most about this festival?
    • Do you think festivals are important for a society?

TELEVISION

    • Do you watch television a lot?
    • What do you usually watch on television?
    • How many hours of television do you usually watch?
    • What are the most popular shows in your country?
    • What kind of shows do you like to watch?
    • What are some advantages of television?
    • What are someof the disadvantages of television?
    • What did you last watch on television?
    • Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?

TOURISM

    • Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country?
    • Do a lot of tourists visit your country?
    • What do they usually do there?
    • How has tourism changed your country?
    • Is your country expensive for most tourists?
    • What are some famous landmarks in your country?

DAILY ROUTINE

    • Describe your daily routine.
    • What do you usually do?
    • What do you do on the weekend?
    • What is you typical weekday like?
    • Does your life change much from week to week?
    • Do you have any free time during the week?

YOUR COUNTRY

    • Which country are you from?
    • Where is this country located?
    • Which part of the country do most people live in?
    • What are the main industries in your country?
    • Is it easy to travel around your country?

CLOTHES

    • What type of clothes do you like to wear?
    • What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
    • How important is fashion to you?
    • What kind of clothes do you dislike?
    • Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
    • What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country?
    • Are clothes expensive in your country?

GOING OUT

    • Do you like going out or staying at home?
    • What do you like to do when you go out?
    • How often do you go out?
    • Do people in your country go our a lot?
    • How and where do people in your country usually socialize?
    • What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?

GAMES

    • Do you enjoy playing any games?
    • What kind of games do you play?
    • Do you think adults should play games?
    • What do children learn from games?
    • What kind of games did you play when you were a child?
    • What games are popular in your country today?
    • What kind of games were popular when you were young?
    • Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?
  • COLOURS
    • Do you have a favourite colour?
    • What are your country’s colours?
    • Do you think colours affect our moods?
    • Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes?
    • Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?

MUSIC

    • Do you like music?
    • What kind of music do you like?
    • When do you usually listen to music?
    • What kind of music did you like when you were younger?
    • What kind of music is popular in your country?
    • Do you play any musical instruments?
    • Do you wish you could play any musical instruments?
    • Which is your favourite instrument?