C 1 Close-up Oral examination

Unit 1
- Is it better to set realistic goals or ambitious goals for ourselves?
- Which of your achievements are you particularly proud of? Why?
- What has been your greatest achievement?
- Who has been the biggest influence in your life? How has that person influenced you?
- What have you learnt from situations where you weren’t as successful as you hoped to be?
- Would you like to try extreme skydiving? Why?/Why not?
- What kind of personality do you think an extreme skydiver has?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of extreme sports?
Unit 2
- How much time do you spend on social media every day? Would you like to spend more or less time
on it?
- Do you think social media has invaded people’s lives too much? Why?/Why not?
- Should famous people always use social media to help with their career? Why?/Why not?
- Do you use social networking sites? Why?/Why not?
- Do you prefer to look at photos online or in a photo album? Why?
- Do you believe that technology pushes people apart or brings them together? Why?
- Should parents monitor their children’s use of technology? Why?/Why not? How can they do this?
- Are young people’s social skills affected by modern technology? Why?/Why not?
- Have you ever communicated with an animal? How?
- Would you like to work on an animal research project? Why?/Why not?
- Do you think that technology will enable us to communicate with animals? Why?/Why not?
Unit 3
- Why do you think people sometimes remember insignificant details but forget things that are
extremely important?
- How good is your memory?
- Why do you think some people become obsessed with their health?
- Is medication always the answer to ill-health? What alternatives are there?
- When you are ill do you use traditional plant medicines? Which one/ones? Would you like to?
Why?/Why not?
- What kind of medicinal cures are available in your country?
- Do you think cures for serious illnesses will be found in the near future? Why?/Why not?
Unit 4
- Do you ever read reviews of films or articles about films? Why?/Why not?
- To what extent do you think reviews influence people’s decisions to see a film, watch a TV series,
etc.?
- Why do you think films with a happy ending are popular?
- Is it easy for those involved in films and theatre in your country to become recognised
internationally? Why?/Why not?
- Would you like to have a mask made of your face? Why?/Why not?
- Do you like the special effects created for films? Why?/Why not?
Unit 5
- Can you list healthy/unhealthy food that you enjoy?
- Which foods in particular do you find hard to resist?
- Which foods do you find disgusting?
- Which food do you think you should cut down on and why?
- Eating only plant-based foods, such as fruit, vegetables and grains is the healthiest diet? Do you
agree? Why?/Why not?
- What do you think is the main cause of obesity in developed countries?
- What do you think governments should do to reduce obesity and why?
- What kind of foods is your country famous for? Why do you think it is so popular?
- Why do you think food allergies are so common these days?
- What might be the consequences of genetically-modifying food?
- Which foods do you think have an unpleasant smell? Would you try them? Why?/Why not?
- Are there any foods or drinks that should be banned from public places?
- What do you think is totally unacceptable to consume?
Unit 6
- How important is it for governments to fund scientific research nowadays and why?
- What are the main causes of environmental pollution?
- What can we do to help maintain nature’s balance?
- Is your country being affected by global warming? How?
- Who do you think should deal with global problems?
- What other global problems does our world face?
Unit 7
- Which invention could you personally not live without and why not?
- Which invention of the last 200 years do you think has improved the lives of people the most and
why?
- What do you think is meant by the expression “Necessity is the mother of invention.”?
- Do new inventions always benefit users? Why?/Why not?
- In what ways is the job of modern inventors different from inventors of the past?
- How has technology helped people explore mysteries of the sea?
- In what other areas has technology enabled humans to increase their knowledge?
- In your opinion, what is the most important technological advance of this decade and why?
Unit 8
- “Money doesn’t always bring happiness” – explain
- Should people spend or save any extra money they have and why?
- Should people who win the lottery give money to charity? Why?/Why not?
- Why do you think poverty is still such a problem in today’s world?
- Should we give financial assistance to the hungry and homeless? Why?/Why not?
- How can we reduce the gap between the rich and the poor?
- Would you like to bargain in a souk? Why?/Why not?
- Do you think online auctions are a good way of shopping? Why?/Why not?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of fixed prices?
Unit 9
- What do you know about Shakespeare?
- How popular is going to the theatre in your country?
- Should the performing arts be a bigger priority in terms of state funding? Why?/Why not?
- Do you consider street art like graffiti and pavement drawings real art? Why?/Why not?
- What obstacles do artists come up against in their careers?
- In what way is art big business?
- Would you decorate your house with trompe l’oeil art? Why?/Why not?
- What kind of architecture do you prefer?
- How would you change the look of area you live in?
Unit 10
- What skills and qualities are necessary for the job of a doctor, teacher, actor, photographer...?
- What are the benefits of being happy at work over earning a top salary?
- Should people who do difficult or dangerous jobs be rewarded more for their efforts?
- Do you think modern lifestyles mean that we are healthier than people were 30 years ago?
Why?/Why not?
- What do you think is the effect of modern lifestyles on relationships? Why?
- Why is having a high-powered career important to some people?
- Is it easy to balance work and home life? Why?/Why not?
- What do you understand by this statement “Work to live, don’t live to work.”? Do you agree with
it? Why?/Why not?
- What responsibilities do pet owners have towards their pet?
- Is it right to keep animals in captivity? Why?/Why not?
- What responsibility do we have towards the animal kingdom in general?
Unit 11
- Which of the extreme sports or activities would you try and why?
- Should people who take extreme risks be entitled to free rescue services and medical care if
something goes wrong? Why?/Why not?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of being self-conscious and of being a risk-taker?
- Is natural ability more important than training if you are to be successful in sport? Why?/Why not?
- Should there be a top limit on the salaries of professional football players? Why?/Why not?
- Do you enjoy taking part in contests? Why?/Why not?
- Do you think children should be encouraged to take part in competitive sport? Why?/Why not?
- How important is it to be competitive in other areas of life? Why?
Unit 12
- Should humans be allowed to exploit the natural resources of other planets? Why?/Why not?
- Does modern technology always bring progress? Why?/Why not?
- Will life for future generations be easier or more difficult than it is today? Why?
- In what ways can looking to the past be the way forward?
- Would you like to travel into space? Why?/Why not?
- Do you think space programmes are important? Why?/Why not?
- What do you think researchers will discover about space over the next fifty years?