Part2&3 地点类（新题）

你家乡发生的变化

Describe a new change that happened near where you live

You should say:

What the change was

How was the place like before it changed

What does the place look like now

And explain how you feel about this change

I’d like to talk about the new 24-hour self-service gym opened last week. It is just ten minutes’ walk from my home. It used to be a Japanese restaurant and it closed last year because of poor management. I found it on my way to school. The big glass window makes it hard to miss.

I went to that restaurant once before and I had a terrible experience. The food was awful and the service was unfriendly. And it cost me the big bucks. I hoped that restaurant close down and my wish came true.

The new gym is well equipped and people can get into is by swiping a wechat QR code. Not like most gyms I have been to, it’s very quiet. There is no gym staff, only a few people exercising while listening to their music. The exercise equipment if new and professional. It’s a place where you feel relaxed and are willing to spend time. Despite just opening a week ago, it has already had a number of customers.

Personally, I am happy to see it because it provides a space where we can exercise at any time. Well, you see, for most ordinary people, it’s impossible to have professional gym equipment at home and go to gyms from 9 to 5. Now we can use it at any time.

PART 3

Why are people living in community friendly with others?

People live in community could interact with everyone in case to fulfilled their daily needs. They know each other very well. Therefore, they tend to have strong brotherhood, and if their neighbor had difficulties they would help and support him/her sincerely.

What are popular activities in community?

There are several popular activities in community. For example, card games, including bridge, poker, and pinochle. Besides, fitness classes is very popular among adults, for example, yoga, water aerobic, Pilates, low-impact aerobics, and Zumba classes.

Do people like living in community?

I think it depends on different types of people. Some people like making new friends and enjoy social activities may prefer to live in community. Others who want to have a private space and enjoy isolation may prefer to live alone.

Where do people in community usually have social gathering?

They may gather in card room to play cards after dinner, where residents can gather for a few friendly hands or even for community-wide tournaments. Besides, well-equipped exercise rooms would be a good choice for people to do exercise together.

What impact will small community have?

People live in the small region could surely know their neighborhood well. They could interact with everyone in case to fulfilled their daily needs. While, on the other side, people live in the small community barely could not have any secrets, they could not have problems without others wanted to know about it. And they are difficult to accept new things that came from outside their community even it is a good one.

一个拥挤的地方

Describe a crowded place you have been to

You should say:

Where you’ve been that’s crowded

How often you go to this place

Who did you go there with

And explain how you feel about going to this place

I’d like to talk about an experience that I was jammed in a crowded lift. It happened not so long ago. The lift is in an old building near to my school. I have no idea when it’s built, but judged by its look, it probably has been there for a good while. There’s only one lift. So you could image what would happened on work days.

I go there for extra school tutoring every week. I usually go there with my classmate, but he cut class on that day. The school’s on the 10 floor. My lesson usually starts at 9 in the morning. Since it’s not the first day, I had already gotten used to getting jammed in the lift. But that day’s the worst.

There’s long line of people. As the door opened, people flooded in. I was jammed in the middle, just like ham in a sandwich. The air-conditioner didn’t work. It’s unbearably hot inside. The air’s awful, I bet someone farted. I seriously doubted if I could get out in piece.

When it’s my floor, I couldn’t wait to get out. The air’s never that fresh before. I took a deep breath, as if I were a prisoner who had been locked up for a lifetime. It’s a terrible experience. Hopefully, that won’t happen again.

PART 3

Do people like to go to crowded places? Why?

Of course not. I think everyone like large space, where they can have enough space to stretch their legs and arms. Crowded places always go with noise and smelly air, which could make people feel uncomfortable and sick.

How can the problem of traffic congestion be solved?

The government could spend more money on the improvement of public transportation, for example, building more underground lines and increasing bus routes and number of bus. Besides, the government should encourage people to use the public transportation by reducing the transportations fees.

What is the most crowded place in your city?

I think the top tourist sports could be the most crowded place in Shanghai, for example, the Oriental Pearl Toweer the Bund, Chenghuang Temple and the Disney land. Besides, the big shopping malls are also crowded especially on weekends and discount seasons.

Why do people still like to live in big cities even though there are severe traffic jams?

Cities could provide more social opportunities, for example, theatres, concerts and amusement parks. There are different choices for people to kill their time. Besides, the infrastructure is more excellent in cities, comparing with its in countryside, from hospital to traffic.

What public facilities does your city have?

Shanghai has 16 underground lines and 415 underground stations. So people could go almost every corner of this big city within two hours. Besides, shanghai has two international airports and 3 railway station, from where citizens have opportunities to go every cities in China and other countries in the world.

Part2&3 地点类（原题）

小时候的学校

Describe a school you went to in your childhood

Where it was

What it was like

What you learned there

And how you felt about it

Okay I’d like to tell you about the school that I went to when I was younger. It was my high school and it’s one of the big four schools in Shanghai which is actually a high school affiliated to a famous university. So it’s kinda a big name in my city even my country.

Basically, if you want to enter this school, you’ll have to take the exam and become the top 1%, which is absolutely mad and I guess you’ll need some luck alongside your hard work.

As for what it was like, I’ll say it looks like a quasi-university. I mean, it has almost everything that a university has, including several teaching buildings, a laboratory building with all the good equipment, a cafeteria that offers all three meals, two sports centers, a huge playground with a standard, 400-metre track, a specific area for student accommodation and many other buildings that facilitate the teaching and student life. So yeah… it’s huge.

As for the courses and curriculum, I’ll say this school focuses a lot on the scientific and technological bit. Almost all students in this school are required to complete an independent research before year 2. And the good ones will be sent to some big competitions in my city and even to a national or international level. Every year we got loads of students who got big prizes and championships from all kinds of scientific competitions. And apart from that, we also got sufficient time for extra-curriculum activities, like…societies, students union and many other sports clubs.

So, my feeling towards this school is that - it’s really nice and definitely a place for students to achieve, but at the same time, it’s extremely competitive which means all students have to suffer from huge pressure. But you’ll be okay as long as you have your own goal and stick to your plan. It’s a very painstaking time for me but yet, very meaningful.

Part 3

What’s the difference between the present and the past teachers?

Now my teachers are less dominance comparing to my primary school teachers. There are fewer instructions of practicing skills such as doing repeated simple calculations, but more complex problems are asked to be solved. I would say now I have more freedom in the study from my teachers comparing to the past, yet it needs more self-control.

What’s the difference between being taught by teachers and being taught by AI?

I think the difference is the loss of human emotions in AI which is as much a risk as an asset. On one hand, every student would be treated equally by the AI teacher. Personal abilities of each student would play a much more significant role in one’s education. More diversity development pathway is allowed for students. However, the disadvantage is that there is limitations for AI teachers. Some excellent human teachers can change the teaching methods to which is best fit for each student. This is what AI teachers can not achieve, at least which the technology today.

What do you think is better, big schools or small schools? Why?

I think big schools are better, because you can meet more different people there. And big schools are more likely to have better teaching facilities, which is good for students.

What kinds of people work as school teachers?

As a school teacher, one must be wise and knowledgeable, so he or she can teach students what they need to know. Besides, being nice and kind to students is also an important character teachers must have.

What qualities do you think a school teacher should have?

Patience is a must. Being a teacher, they need to face lots of questions raised by their students and they need to answer all of them. Intelligence is also important, because teachers need to know more than students so that they can teach them.

Who is more suitable to be school teachers, males or females?

There is no correct answer for this question as males and females are equal. Anyone who has the ability to teach and the qualities to be a good teacher is suitable for being a school teacher.

读书写字的地方

Describe a place where you read and write (not your home)

You should say

Where it is

How often you go there

Who you go there with

And explain how you feel about this place

The place where I’d like to do a bit studying, like reading or writing is ‘Stone Bridge Bookstore’ in Suzhou , a river city in  south china . actually the first time I saw it is from a piece of news in one of my favorite bloggers. I was actually attracted by its special design, you know, the designer re-modified an old bridge and changed it to a modern place for relaxing. Later me and my bestie , Ada we drove there for a short trip which was truly unforgettable

It’s definitely a perfect place to chill out since the quiet atmosphere it provides is impeccable. While stepping into the entrance gate of this bridge, it would be like walking through a tranquil maze made of books. In fact, everyone gets immersed into this pleasant reading experience and no one dares to talk at all. So it’s like a heaven for people looking for places to get some work done or just get lost among book shelves

In addition, it offered a unique reading experience unlike anywhere else. I mean, it’s a real stone bridge above the river flowing through the whole area, so while enjoying your favorites books , ranging from classics to modern literature, you could also get a picturesque view of the whole area , like the boating, people strolling along the river bands or the bustling flea markets in nearby streets. It’s just so amazing when you could feel the noise and peace at the same time.

Part 3

Which is more important, reading or writing?

If you ask, I would like to say both of them are important. But if I have to choose, I would choose reading. Because, in my opinion, reading is a fundamental preparation for writing. One cannot write high quality without massive reading. Besides, reading can bring us things that happen even across the world, which can broaden our horizons.

Who needs to have good writing skills

Generally speaking, everyone needs to be good at writing, because it shows who you are if a person cannot meet you in person. But if we think more specifically, there are jobs that require high writing skills, like reporter, journalist, writer, teacher, and professor etc.

Where can people get more information, words or pictures?

I think that depends, some people have better understanding to visual expressions and some are good at verbal descriptions. For me, pictures is more attractive for me to grab information, whereas sometime it takes a while for me to understand what’s going on in a long report.

Do you think a good place to study is an important factor to improve our study efficiency?

Yes, I do think so. Cause studying needs people to focus on the materials. Only when people are in a quiet and proper environment, they can do things with no disturbance. Thus, studying place is vital to high study efficiency.

多彩的地方

Describe a place you remember well that is full of colors

You should say:

Where it is

What it is like

What it is used for

And explain why you remember it well

Okay I’d like to tell you about a place that is full of different colours. It’s the carnival in my university and it’s held every November in the student accommodation area.

The reason why I remember it so well is because I ‘d been to this carnival for almost 4 times during my university. It’s a celebration for the Bonfire and everyone loved it since it’s a festival.

Basically, what you can see in this place were different rides, decorated with neon lamps, showing beautiful lights. And, you got all different shops selling candies, caramel apples and other food and drink, even some souvenirs. On that day, students get really crazy and they would dress something funny to the carnival - some are like animals, others are like some animation figures and vampires. It’s a great time for photo really. And there must be a brilliant firework show in the end which is definitely a highlight for the whole event. So, there’re loads to see and everything’s colourful and cute.

Apart from that, people can do a lot of things there and really enjoy themselves. I mean, just play around and dance to the music can make people really excited. Actually, very few people would feel upset in such a joyful environment. And also, you got the firework to watch, that’s something really unusual.

So, I always loved this event and hope to join in again if there’s a chance. I think being in such a colourful environment can really cheer me up and make some happy memories for myself. So this is definitely somewhere colourful that I remember very well.

Part3

Do you think the color of clothes is very important? Why?

I think it is important to wear suitable colour in some occasions. It is a way of showing respect to those events for example on funerals or wedding. Also, in some formal situations such as a conference, wearing a colour which is too bright for example pink or light green, may result in a funny or unreliable impression to other people.

Do you think the color of course books is very important? Why?

I do not think colour of text books is important. The valuable information of a text book is the content instead of the appearance. Though some colours may be more eye catching than others, students should still pay more attention on the texts. No matter what colour text books are in, students should learn the knowledge in the books.

Do you think colors can influence a person mood? Why?

I think so. Despite the psychological evidence, according to my personal experience, colours do have influence on one's emotion. White eliminates most distractions thus makes people feel relaxed. While orange triggers people to think of ripe fruits and have great appetite. Different colours can stimulate different parts in brain therefore generate different moods.

What kinds of colors does advertisement often use?

Tv advertisements often use bright colours and contrasting colours to attract people's attention. Blue of Pepsi and red of coke would be ideal illustrations. Recently, Japanese simple style becomes fashionable so white, great and black are commonly used in advertisements, especially for furniture and clothes. Examples can be Muji and IKEA.

What color do you think people would choose when decorating their houses?

From my opinion, people would use colours with comparatively lower contrast and saturation when painting their house, such as cream, beige or baby blue. These colours are less likely to cause excitation and contribute to a calm environment. I think home should be a place full of peace and relaxation so these colours will be appropriate.

想要到访的新建筑

Describe a new public building you want to visit.

You should say:

what the building is

where it is

what it is used for

And explain why you want to visit it.

Well, I’d like to describe a new public building that I want to visit. It is a new shopping mall near our neighborhood. I first heard about it from my friend who lives in the same community, and she told me it was a pretty nice shopping center and I should go and have a look.

Like I said, the new shopping mall is very close to where I live, and according to my friend, it is just a 10-minute drive. I also learned that it is a five-story building with many garment shops, a big supermarket and some restaurants.

As for what it’s used for, well, isn’t that obvious? It is a place where people can buy stuff such as clothes, shoes and cosmetics. It is also a place for friend gatherings. I mean people can go to one of those restaurants to eat and chat. It is also convenient for the residents nearby to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables in the supermarket.

Finally, I want to explain why I want to visit this newly built shopping center. Well, I love shopping, and I’m just curious to know what this mall is like. And with the National Day holiday around the corner, there will definitely be a big sale, and I think it’ll be a great opportunity for bargain hunting!

Part3

What kinds of facilities do you think are important in cities?

The most important ones are the transportation facilities due to the large number of people, which is especially true in big cities. More people tend to go to big cities for better job opportunities, which means higher demand for transportation facilities, so improving such facilities will allow big cities operate normally. Besides, restaurants and convenience stores should be everywhere in cities because in the fast pace of work, people prefer eating outside than cooking by themselves.

Do people prefer living in new house or old house? Why?

In my opinion, people prefer living in new house because just like everyone prefer wearing new clothes, the same to the house. New house here means a brand new house. In other words, no one has lived in it before and you are the first one to live in. The house will not have any problems of overusing, compared with the old one. Also, the house will look more modern and furniture in it will not be out-of-date.

Should old buildings be rebuilt? Why?

I think it depends. For those old buildings representing a certain period, they should not be rebuilt because they show how that period looks like to the current world. Instead of rebuilding, they should be preserved and repaired if needed. While for those old buildings used for living, they should be rebuilt in order to ensure its security.