ISE II CONVERSATION QUESTIONS

    

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SOCIETY AND LIVING STANDARDS

1) What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘standard of living’?
2) What’s your standard of living like?
3) Has your standard of living gone up or down over the years?
4) What is the standard of living like in your country compared to its neighbours?
5) Do you think standard of living is more important than quality of life?
6) Bhutan measures Gross Domestic Happiness, pretty much all other countries measure standard
of living. Which is best?
7) What do we measure to find the standard of living?
8) Would you include issues like the climate and crime in measuring the standard of living?
9) What do you think your standard of living will be like when you retire?
10) Do you think the standard of living is a cultural or economic measurement?
11) How do countries increase the standard of living for citizens?
12) Is it possible for all countries to enjoy the same standard of living?
13) Why don’t countries copy the economic policies of the countries with the highest standard of
living?
14) Would you like to move to the country with the highest standard of living?
15) Is the standard of living related to the cost of living?
16) Do you think your town has a high standard of living?
17) Is the standard of living or the standard of living most important?
18) What part does the Internet play in the standard of living?
19) Could you cope with the standard of living in the developing world?
10) An Indian spiritual leader said: "It is not the standard of living that is important, but the manner
of living." Do you agree?

Personal Values and Ideals

What are your ideals in life?

*Do you consider yourself to be very idealistic?
What things are important for you?
Some people say that the family structure as we know it is breaking up. Do you agree?
*(Being polite, respectful, punctual, obedient, well-dressed, hygienic, tidy, helpful, understanding,
hard-working, truthful, honest, loyal, and so on.) In your opinion, which of these are lacking in
society?
What personal values do you consider to be important?
*What are your ambitions, hopes and fears?
*Do you believe in "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?
How do you feel about injustice?
What can be done to help victims of terrorism?
How did the events in March affect you? (11-M)
*Is freedom of speech a basic human right?
*What is the worst injustice for you?
*Do you think it is moral to be prejudiced?
Do you think that television is a means to indoctrinate and influence young minds?
*What maxim do you live by?
How would you have felt if you had been a victim of the attack on the trains?
*What is your best quality as a person?
*What do you look for in a friend? In other words, what is the most important quality to look for in a
friend?
*What do you value most in life?
*On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you value each of these: fame, wealth, peace, beauty, power,
freedom, equal rights, self-expression. Which one do you value the most? The least? Why?

If the place where you live was on fire and you could only save 3 things, what objects would you
save? (Assume that all people and pets are safe.)
If you could change one thing in your community, what would it be?
If you were marooned on a tropical island with one other person, who would you choose?
If you could change one thing about the world, what would you choose?
Without mentioning names, what are three things you respect most about the adults you know?
You have a free day, with no school, no work, and no responsibilities. What would you most like to
do with that day?

The World of Work

What jobs are there in your local community?

Which skills are needed for each type of job?
Imagine you have left school with your qualifications.
What job would you apply for? Why?
Imagine you are at the interview for that job.
What skills or qualities would you tell your employer about?
When you were a child, what did you want to be?
What is your dream job?
How long should women get for maternity leave?
Do you think human beings need to work to be happy?
Do you think 40 hours a week is too much for humans?
What do you see yourself doing in your retirement?
What would make you quit your job?
How do you balance work and your personal life?
Do women often face discrimination in the workplace in your country?
Are you a supporter of labour unions?
What industries are strong in your country?
How would you define success?
What is the worst job in the world?
Is it true that 'no job is perfect'?
How do you prepare for a job interview?
Have you ever had a manager or co-worker that you couldn't get along with?
What are some inappropriate questions to ask in job interviews?
What are some tough job interview questions? How would you answer them?
Other than increasing salaries, what can employers do to make their workers happy?
How is the economic recession affecting your field?
Are jobs in the public sector sought after in your country? Why or why not?
Should interviewers be prohibited from asking about age, marital status, residency, etc?
Do you know companies that have bad reputations? What for?
If you had your own company, what type of policies, dress code, workspace, etc would you have?
How can a person make a good first impression?
             
   

Unexplained Phenomena and Events

Are people in Spain very superstitious? In your family? Are you?

Do you believe in the supernatural or are you a skeptic?
Do you believe that people can have psychic powers?
Do you believe in the existence of UFO’s or beings from other planets?
Do you know of any good ghost stories? (that happened to you or a friend)
Have you ever seen a ghost or something you couldn’t explain?
‘Bigfoot’ is an example of an unsolved mystery. What others do you know of?
The greatest fear is of the unknown. Do you agree?
Would you be afraid to enter a haunted house? A cemetery alone at night?
Do you believe in good and bad luck? Do you believe in karma?
Do you have any superstitions?
-          What are some superstitions in your country? Other countries?
-          What is the ‘wildest’ superstition you’ve heard?
Do you believe in horoscopes?
Is there an area where you live (house, park, etc.) that is known to be haunted?
Do you put any faith in modern day ghost hunters?
Do you believe your ancestors are watching you?
What do you think about Ouija boards? Would you ever play it, if you haven’t already?
Do you believe in life after death? God? Heaven and hell?
What would you do or how would you react if one of your friends admitted that he/she practices
witchcraft?
Understanding different viewpoints - What’s your reaction to different opinions?:
“Of course I believe in the supernatural. I have had several experiences where I have seen spirits.
I think I am more sensitive than other people. But it’s not just me; many other people around the
world have seen things that they can’t explain. I have a close friend who almost died in a car
wreck. She told me that when she was unconscious, she saw a bright light and she heard her dead
mother’s voice calling her. But before she could read the light, she woke up in the hospital.”
-          Narra
“I come from a small village in the countryside. Everyone in our village is superstitious. The elderly
women always tell ghost stories and this used to frighten me when I was a little girl. I am still
frightened of spirits now, and I don’t like to sleep with the lights off. I keep a crucifix because my
grandmother told me it would protect me against anything.”
-          Maria
“I am skeptical about the idea of ghosts and the paranormal. I think it’s probably because I am
studying to become a scientist and I believe in rational thinking. When we die, we don’t come back
– that’s silly. People fool themselves into believing this nonsense is true. On the other hand, I
believe there may be UFO’s. At least, there is probably life on other planets. Science can prove
that this is possible.”
-          Marc
   
National Environmental Concerns
                  
Questions
*What are the main environmental problems in your town? And in your country? How could these
problems be tackled?
*Are you very concerned about the environment? Who should be the most concerned? Who is
most affected by environmental issues?
*Are there litter laws where you live? If so, what is the penalty for littering?
*Do you think cars should be banned from city centers?
*What are some things that your community is doing to help the environment?
*What are some things which you recycle?
*What are some types of pollution? What are some ways that you can reduce pollution in this
country?
*Who do you think is more responsible for pollution, individual people or the government? Explain.
*Are companies more or less environmentally responsible now than they were in the past? Why do
you think that is?
*What are some ways energy is wasted?
*What should we do to increase the awareness about environmental pollution?
*What are five ways that every person can help the environment, starting now?
*Why don't people do more to help the environment? Why don't politicians do more to help the
environment?
Does the environment belong principally to the human race?
Do you have any ideas on how to minimize the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam boxes?
What environmental problems have you heard about in the news recently?
Which is more important, increasing people's standard of living, or protecting the environment?
Do you usually drink bottled water? Why or Why not?
Do you think recycling is an important community service?
Do you think overpopulation is an important environmental issue? Why or why not?
Are there people in your country who make their living from picking-up other people's garbage?
Does your country have a smoking ban law in place?
What do you think about fines or jail time for people who use too many resources? Would this
increase environmental awareness and responsibility?
Would you ever donate some money (or have you ever donated) to an environmental action
group? Why/not?
Why don't people do more to help the environment? Why don't politicians do more to help the
environment?

Give your opinion on the following statements.

Car drivers have to pay tax to use the roads, so cyclists must pay road tax too.  
Farmers should only use natural things on their farms, not pesticides.
Public Figures, past and present
                  
Questions:
Who is the most important public figure in your country at the moment? Tell me about him/her.
Who are the most important public figures in the world of politics, religion, science, and
technology?
Who are the most important public figures in the world of sport, cinema, music, television,
literature, etc. in Spain? In the rest of the world? Which of these do you like or look up to most
(admire)? How are they remembered?
What current public figure do you most admire? Why?
Who is the most famous public figure you know of? They can be dead or alive. What legacy have
they left/will they leave?
Do reporters and photographers respect the private lives of famous people in your country? How
much freedom should the press be allowed by law?
Are celebrities worth the money they are paid for?
Who are the most famous historical figures in your country? What did they do?
Would you want to be famous? What would you like to be known for? What are the advantages
and disadvantages of being famous?

Short Activity:
JK Rowling has been named the sixth most powerful celeb in the world by the magazine Forbes.
How should we really judge a person's contribution to society?
Rank public figures (that were stated above) and decide what makes a good citizen.
How have these categories fared? How many public figures from the following categories do you
know of?
- Business
- Literature
- Showbiz
- Sport
- Politics
What sort of people appear on TV and in print most often? What do you think about this?
Does media coverage fairly represent how important people are?

*********************************************************************************************
To help you study, use this quizlet to answer different questions related to the 6 topics.
http://quizlet.com/22974361/ise-ii-questions-flash-cards/
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