Speaking Comprehension Test for 11th Form Students

1. This year you are leaving school. You’ve planned up to work. Make your reasons.
* What is the most important factor for you in deciding on a profession?
*What are the other factors?
* Rank the factors in order of their importance.

2. Do you believe that the majority of youth in Ukraine prefers watching movies to reading?
* What benefits, if any, does reading provide that watching movies does not?
* Should reading be encouraged more among youth? Who should do it? How?
* What are the positive and negative aspects of acquiring information from TV and books?

3. Fantasy books such as Harry Potter and Game of Thrones have been very popular recently. Why do
you think this genre is so popular?
* Do you think that fantasy books and films are intended for younger audience or do they have broad
appeal?
* If you could bring a character from a fantasy book to life, who would it be? Why would you choose that
character?
* Some argue that fantasy books and films are forms of escapism which serve only to distract people from
important issues and problems in the real world. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

4. Art and music classes should be abandoned in schools in order to provide more time for lessons that are
considered more academic such as foreign languages, maths and sciences.
* Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not?
* How would abandoning art and music affect your school and your country?
* What do art and music bring to or take away from your school?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of dating someone from another culture?
* What problems might someone face? How could these problems be solved?
* Describe a typical date in your culture and how this would be different from another culture?
* What are the social rules of etiquette when dating in your culture?

6. Social networking sites like Facebook are seemingly all over the place. Do you see this as a good thing
or bad thing? Why?
*If all social networking sites were shut down forever, how would it affect your life?
* Apart from socializing with friends, what other users do social networking sites have?
* How can social networking sites be used as an agent of social change in Ukraine?

7. In English there is a saying “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, which means that children are
not very different from their parents.
* Speak about the ways in which you are similar to and different from your parents or other relatives.
*Are you or your brothers or sisters more like one parent than the other.
* Do you believe that the environment or genetic make-up determines a child’s character?

8. If you could choose to be any character in a book or movie, who would you be? Why?
* What aspects do you find appealing about this character?
* Are you similar to or different from this character? How?
* What don’t you like about the character’s life? Why?

9. Difficult tasks often require something positive to motivate us.

* What factors best motivate you when you have a difficult task to accomplish?
* Which people play a role in motivating you? Why?
* For what tasks do you need to be motivated? Why?
10. Zoos are a fun place for children and can make people happy. What are the benefits of zoos? What are
the negative aspects?
* How are zoos good and bad for animals? What can be done to improve zoos?
* Is it important for animals to be in their natural environment?
* What if people were put into zoos? How would society be different?

11. We should not just prepare for life, but live it.
* What does this statement mean to you?
* Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
* Right now, do you feel as though you are preparing for life or living it? In what ways?

12. Fashions come and go. How important do you think being fashionable is?
* What kind of clothes is in fashion now? What do you think of these styles?
* What fashions that you see today might be out of style within two years?
* What kind of clothes do you usually wear? Who and what influence your style?

13. Personal style plays an important role in our self-expression.

* Describe your personal style (clothing, hair, image etc.)
* What does this say about your personality?
* How important is it for you to be in style? Why?

14. Global warming is receiving more attention as a concern and problem throughout the world.
* Do you think global warming is an important environmental issue? Why?
* What are three sources of global warming, and how does each contribute to the problem?
* What are three solutions to stopping, or at least slowing, the effects of global warming?

15. Throughout history great societies have produced great artists, musicians and authors of all genres
* What role do the arts play on creating a well-rounded person?
* How have the arts affected you or someone you know?
* How would a lack of arts in someone’s life affect him or her?

16. Many small towns in Ukraine have problems with school leavers moving to other towns.
* Do you think it is better to live in a small town or a big city?
* What projects do you think could help to keep youth in smaller towns?
* How might the town improve the quality of life for youth?

17. Do you think the private lives of celebrities should be open to the public?
* Why is the public interested in the lives of the famous?
* How would you feel if press investigated your private life?
* Would you like to know more about the life of a particular celebrity? Why?

18. Do think a universal language would be useful for modern life?

* Which language would you suggest as the common language?
* What are the disadvantages of having a universal language?
* How do you think knowing more than one language can affect your life?

19. Extreme sports such as skydiving, mountain climbing, and bungee jumping are very popular, but also
very dangerous. What is so appealing about these sports that people will risk their lives to do them?
* Is there an extreme sport you want to try and one you don’t? Which one and why?
* What would be your family’s reaction to your doing an extreme sport?

20. Often we can identify a culture through its traditional and popular music.
* Is one country’s music better than another’s?
* Is there good and bad music? Explain your answer.
* How does your country’s music reflect its culture?