21GS4B2- SPEAKING

Read and think about ONE of the questions below. Give reasons and examples or personal
experiences.
1. What do you think about online/ internet dating? Have you ever tried online dating?
It’s the only kind of dating I’ll probably ever do.

Bear with me for a second. We live in a society where men are expected to make the first move,
almost always.

But it’s exceedingly easy to be labeled a creep when your advances are unwanted. And the idea that I
might be bothering someone who doesn’t want to be bothered mortifies me.

Everyone on a dating site is basically saying: “Hey, I’m available! Talk to me.”

And if a woman is not interested in me, I at least know that I wasn’t bothering her while she was just
trying to enjoy a night out with her friend.

There are some downsides, of course.

 You can’t tell if you’ll have face to face chemistry. There are some people you’d
never ask out if you’d met them first. There’s just no spark, and there couldn’t ever
be. But you might like their profile online. Then, you finally meet them, and within
3 seconds you know that there’s no spark. You have to politely stay out with them
or they have to stay with you even though it should basically be over at that point.
 Because it’s more impersonal, there’s a high rate of people ghosting. There’s a
million fish in the sea. When people lose interest, it’s easy for them to just stop
talking and let things fizzle out.
 Profiles are very curated and often in a deceitful way. People are afraid that the real
them would push others away. And so, they lie, either by commission or omission.
But that’s not exclusive to dating online.
Overall, though, I still find it preferable to the alternative.

2. Which means of transport do you prefer to travel by: by train, bus, plane, or ship? Why?
 I rarely travel by train but I would say that I enjoy traveling with a car the most. It’s
because I get to see the landscapes of the countries I pass through, enjoy and relax
on the road and while it certainly isn’t the fastest was to get somewhere, it is still
the method I’m most used to - and not to mention that it gives me a great
opportunity to explore the country I’m in (because car rentals can be very expensive
in some).
 I do like traveling by plane too though. It is certainly faster and interesting overall.
You can’t see much except clouds and the sky but that’s actually a great opportunity
to take nice pictures. And of course, you can start a conversation with a stranger in
some cases. But I prefer it mostly because it is faster and easier - albeit more
expensive.

3. Why do you think more young people prefer to be single than getting married nowadays?
Nowadays, more and more people tend to have an independent life instead of
getting married. In my view, it is a positive trend for several reasons. Firstly,
staying alone makes them feel more comfortable and freedom. When they got
married, they had to spend time together, so they will not have private time.
 While single life can bring them freedom, they will not be dependent on
anybody, they can discover what truly makes them happy and enjoy their life.
Secondly, living alone helps prevent unhappy marriages and their consequences.
Some people get married without love, and this may lead to an awful marital
life. If the family falls apart, it has many effects, not only for them but also for
their children. Therefore, single life is suitable when people are not willing to
commit to a marriage. Some people argue that a single life will lead to being
alone at present and when they get older. In reality, people who choose to stay
alone still have their family and friends, they still enjoy and feel happy with
them. Besides, when they get older, they can go to nursing homes and spend the
end of life with other people who also live there. In conclusion, single life has
many positive effects over negative, and we should courage this trend.
4. Do you prefer package tour or travelling on your own?
I prefer to join package tours. Maybe some hold that traveling on your own is freer and you
can travel anywhere you want. However, in my opinion, there are some advantages of joining
package tours. First, joining package tours can help us save money. Many people get together
to travel and the cost of each must be down. Also, we may share our goods. Second, joining
package tours can help us build a friendship. We would meet some individuals from other
places and understand the different culture which could increase our knowledge.
I have experienced both a planned tour and a tour on my own. I actually prefer to plan my own tour.

Years back, I’ve experienced several planned tours to several places. While it was relaxing because
you don’t have to worry where you’re off to next, or what vehicle would you use to go to the next
destination, it somehow lacked something. For me, that is. You are time bound to your tour. When
you want to explore the place more, you cannot mainly because there are people waiting for you.
There would also be several places that you like but you couldn’t go to when you join a tour because
it’s not in the itinerary.

Recently, I experienced going on a tour planned by myself. I was with my family and we were on a
budget then. Because adding a tour in our itinerary would be going on over our budget, we decided to
tour the place on our own.

Since I am a Tourism student, my family usually depends on me when it comes to traveling. So, at the
airport, I took all the free maps there is. Our trip actually went well and we enjoyed it because we
traveled all by ourselves in a foreign country. It is not difficult to navigate through the city when you
have a map with you. Also, we own our time. If we wanted to leave the hotel to explore early, we
could do so. If we wanted to eat in this restaurant, we eat there. If we wanted to stop by a shop that
caught our attention, we stop. Not only that it’s a great experience when you do things by yourself, but
it also feels great and satisfying to know that you survived exploring a foreign country without
anybody’s help.

Your time is yours when you don’t go on a planned tour. Most importantly, you save a lot of money
since tours are a little expensive and sometimes, it’s mandatory to tip your tour guide.

5. Do you think age difference is important in dating? Why or why not?

6. Would you rather visit another country or travel within your own country?
7. Do you think blind dates are a good way to meet someone special? Why or why not?
8. Do you prefer active or relaxing holidays? Why?
9. How do young people usually meet or date in your country?
10. What things do you need to prepare before travelling abroad?
11. How long should it take for dating to turn into a relationship?
12. Would you rather go to a place where there are a lot of people or to a place where there are
few people?
13. Is there a such thing as a perfect relationship for you?
14. How do you spend your time when you are on holiday and the weather is bad?
15. What was the most interesting date you've ever been on?
16. Do you think tourism will harm the earth?
17. Why do people often want more money, no matter how much they have got?
18. Do you visit museums when you go to another city?
19. Do you often bargain when you buy something? Why or Why not?
20. Did you like art subject when you were at school?
21. What do you like spending money on? What don't you like spending on?
22. Do you consider yourself to be artistic?
23. Have you ever been overcharged for something? Did you get your money back?
24. Do you have any artistic friends? What kinds of art do they create?
25. What kinds of things are you saving your money for?
26. Have you ever tried drawing, painting, sculpting, or something else artistic?
27. What's your favorite place to shop?
28. What is traditional art like in your culture?
29. Which do you think is more important, love or money?
30. Is graffiti art? Why or why not?
31. Do you ever buy second-hand (used) things? Do you think that buying second-hand things
is a good way of saving money?
32. Do you think that art is important to society? Why?
33. Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or Why not?
34. Are you afraid of going abroad alone? Why or Why not?
35. Do you sometimes buy things that you don’t need?
36. What art form do you like best?
37. Do you enjoy taking photographs? What things do you like to photograph?
38. Who takes care of the money in your house?
39. What are some things that you always take with you on a trip?
40. Would you date someone much older or younger than you? Why or why not?
41. Do you have any expectations for your partner?
42. If you had a large amount of money, what would you do with it?
43. Do you prefer hot countries or cool countries when you go on holiday?
44. Have you ever participated in any art competitions?