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    Dexter Chiaw Wu Lim

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    PRET AB, 2022492 EEE 2022 4F 9-12 FE ae WM ERAS PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Ase Part 1 Work or study. Hometown. Home/Aecommodation. $B 20224492 ieee Part 1 DG AG BA BSF SEAL APP-L1BLA-Part 1) Work or study What work do you do? Do you like your job? Why did you choose to do that type of work(or, that job)? Is it interesting? ‘Do you miss being a student? What subjects are you studying? Why did you choose to study that subject! Why did you choose to study those subjects? Do you like your subject? Do you prefer to study in the mornings or in the afternoons? Are you looking forward to working? Hometown What's the name of your hometown? Is that a big city or small place? Please describe your hometown alittle, How long have yon lived there? Do you like living there? ‘What do you like (most) about your hometown? Is there anything you dislike about it? Do you think you'll continue living there for a long time? Do you plan to continue living there? Where would you like to live? Home/Accommodation Who do you live with? How long have you lived there? Do you plan to live there for a long time? Can you describe the place where you live? Which room does your family spend most of the time in? What is the difference between where you are living now and where you have lived in the past? PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Do you prefer living in a house or a flat? In the future, what type of place would you like to live in? What kind of neighborhood/environment/ surroundings’ home would you like to live in? ‘What do you usually do in your house/flat/room? A ‘Do you wear a watch? I used to wear a watch during my adolescence since, when I was studying in school, you couldn't bring your mobile phone with you which I would otherwise use to tell the time. However, nowadays I tend not to wear a watch; if T need to do something with my hands, such as cook or clean, it’s very easy for the watch fo get caught up in something and damaged. In my opinion, it’s not worth the risk. Have you ever got a watch asa gift? Actually, my brother gave me his old watch one time. I say it’s an old watch, but actually it was quite fancy and looked spectacular. Whenever l would attend formal events ot get-togethers with, people I know, T would try to remembengt@- Wear this watch, T also received a digital watch recently as a gift. Although I'm grateful for the thought involved, I don’t really feel like I need a digital watch when T already have a phone. ‘Why do some people wear expensive watches? People might choose to wear extravagant watches for a number of reasons. Of course, maybe they just find mote expensive watches to be more aesthetically pleasing. Usually. the higher the price, the better the quality. But, perhaps, there's also an element of them wanting to impress other people with their accessories Do you think watch is important for you? Why? I don’t really put mich importance into the idea of wearing a watch. I know that it's something a lot of people Like'to do, buttPm notréaliy tine kind!/G# petsofliwho caresjajgrest deal about flashy agRe3Sories! It's justiinuch niore convenient and better value for money to use your phone toteil thie time. Sure, it might Hot De as,impressive aa nice Rolex or somctiting, but Fdon’t think that thhismatters too much. In what conditions would you use a computer? In the (curentalivingssitiation,| ofind myself ihysleneed,to-usevaycomputersfonspretty much everything, So, that would mean that I primarily use my’compoter for may work - but L also use it for recicational activitics when I have a litle bit of fice fime. It can fimction astaspeaker for playing music, too. In fact, for most of the day. my computer will be running in some capacity, even when I'm not actively using it. ‘When was the first time you used a computer? It's very difficult to stretch my memory back that far, but the first time I can vividly remember ‘using a computer was when I was about 6 years old. Our teacher at school had introduced us to webpage with an educational game on it, and I had remembered the uame of the site. When I retumed home from school, I asked my parents to help me log ou to the computer and access the intemet so I could play the game again. What would your life be like without computers? My life would be impossibly difficult without computers, since much of modem life revolves 4 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE around their usage. I wouldn't be able to prepare my work, study, sort out my finances or anything of that ilk. A lot of places around the world have even begun to phase out physical paper documents for some situations, meaning that it’s all processed electronically. If 1 didn’t have a computer, I suppose I would have to use my mobile phone for this kind of thing, which ‘would be incredibly inconvenient In what conditions would it be difficult for you to use a computer? Camying a computer around can sometimes be quite inconvenient due to its weight, so I suppose ‘that it would be tough to fully utilise a computer if I didn’t have a place to sit down. Also, my computer requires regular charging and so there would need to be electtical sockets nearby. If there aren't any, then it might be rather challenging to work on my PC. Do you have a talent, or something you are good at? I don’t have a talent in the conventional sense, such as an artistic or sporting pursuit. However, I think I do excel in an academic environment and make for an excellent student. So I suppose leaming and absorbing knowledge is probably my most obvious talent. Aside from that, my ability to recall minor pieces of information and trivia that I've leamed is rather good. ‘Was it mastered recently or when you were young? Learning is something that you never really begin or end, so it’s difficult to say whether this is something that I've become good at in recent. yeafS or something that I've excelled at for a while. However. I've always had very good grades and been given commendations by teachers and professors, so I suppose it's somthing I had a knack for from a young age. Do you think your talent can be useful for your future work? Why? Of course, being able to leam and take in lange amounts of information is something that is essential for adapting to different workplaces. In the funure. if I want to achieve my dreams, I’m going to need to be able to apply my ability to lear in a variety of ways. If lam able to do this, ‘then I’m bound to have success wherever Igo. Do you think anyone in your family has the same talent? T think there are many people in my faunily who are intelligent and quick in their ability to Lear, but hayen’t hadythe samesopportunities to applypit.aseI have. The, environment. in. which-may Patents and.tWo elder brothers grew up -Wasi't-as fortunate asimy One; I was able to attend the best school in the region and have access 10 efeat educational resources, Peiliapsii their imate ability. was mustureda litle more they woild have the samertalent as mez ‘What kinds of things are boring to you? Persomtally{ I've never been interested in SeieHes and matlGhatics, AA? the different kinds of fouimulas amd|equations, which iuust necessarily Fesuitin an objective answer..T don't find it enthralling in|any-waye Pur nivch- more interested in questions and Subjects tat are more open- ended. This isnt to say that all science and maths is completely tedious and unable 10 be debated, but the more interesting parts of these subjects ate far too advanced for me to be able to understand. What will you do when you feel bored? ‘Whenever I do find myself being bored, I will either listen to some new musical releases or play one of my favourite video games. However, this maybe will only keep my attention for a short petiod of time. So, the key is to try to avoid boredom in the first place - I tend to do this by infusing my work and job with all my own personal interests. So, if] am researching something, I will also try to find out the historical and cultural context behind it, since I find history and sociology very interesting. PRET AB, 2022492 EEE ‘What was the most boring thing you did when you were young? Tremember that my parents made me attend a fitness class after school every week, since I was, quite an overweight child. Personally, I found it incredibly boring, but also really difficult, which, isn’t a particularly nice combination. I enjoy working out more nowadays, but for many years, my idea of exercise was tainted by this experience. Do you think school is boring? ‘There are some subjects in school that were a bit of a slog to get through but, on the whole, I can look back at school with fond memories. Generally, T found the humanities and language subjects to be quite interesting, whilst being a Dit more reserved for the sciences and mathematics. Maybe at the time T felt a litte bit bored on occasion, but T do remember taking a great interest in certain aspects of my studies. Do you collect things? I used to collect a digital library of music on my computer throughout my teenage years and university. At one point, T had over 30,000 songs stored on my laptop. However, my computer was severely damaged in a storm one day and T lost a great portion of my files. After losing all of those songs and albums, T had no real desire to start from scratch. Currently, I don’t keep any. collections because it’s too easy to lose things, Are there any things you keep from childliood? There are some scutimental items fiom my grandparents that I keep everywhere I go. In particular, my grandfather had an old atlas from the 1960s that I always used to peruse as a child I don't know why I had such an attachment to it, but I loved reading it. When he passed away. the book was given to me and it’s something I place a lot of value in. ‘Would you keep old things for a long time? Why? It would depend on the thing in question. If the item is valuable. or otherwise of historical and sentimental importance, then of course I will keep it. However, for items such as clothing, I ty to keep as up to date as I realistically can, without spending too much money. Where do you usually keep things younced? T have a vatiety of cupboards, cliests, wardrobes and shelves that use to keep the things Thieed, although maybe i's not as organised as it couldlbe, I will always storé importahie documents and files.in a safe atea that’s telatively high up, in case of waterdantage. Ifsomethingsisimportant or valuable. I will store it away fom exposed areas since I don’t want to riskeitsbecoming sodden with wold. Wheieis your favorite place to nieet with your friends? 1 almost always inect my friends aba cofice shop, sincerthere afe so many cafes iefiby where 1 five, In addition to this, most of my friends have an interest in coffee culture, so ft only makes, sense for us to meet there. If I don’t meet a friend in a cafe, then it will usually be for an outdoors activity such as hiking, so we'll meet at a park or an area that’s easy to traverse for pedestrians. Do you think there are some places more suitable for meeting with others? T would say that it’s much easier to meet a friend in a casual environment at a place where there is readily available seating. Therefore, I think cafes and tea shops are perfectly suited to meeting friends and having a conversation. Maybe it would be unprofessional or unsuitable to meet somebody at a place of work, or during a more serious occasion where you can’t readily chat. Are there any differences between your favorite meeting places in the present and in your 6 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE childhood? Certainly. T never thought that I would be the type of person to enjoy casual conversations in cafes. When I was younger, I would much prefer to meet friends in shopping centers or malls. As, T get older, however, T begin to value sitting down in a quiet environment much more, and ‘therefore I find walking ceaselessly around a mall to be too tiring for my sensibilities. Why are some meeting places better than others? Some meeting places are able to provide a relaxed environment in which conversation can flow freely, and there aren't any obstacles to distract fiom chatting. On a different note, sometimes a meeting place such as a sporting activity can provide us with intriguing topics to discuss. ‘However, some meeting places don’t really allow for too much talking, and T would consider this to be a poor place to hang out with fiiends, Are you interested in watching TV advertisements or intemet advertisements? T really don’t have an interest in watching advertisements at all, and I try my hardest to avoid them. | dislike them to the extent that, on my computer, I will install software that blocks the adverts. In the current day and age, we are bombarded with people trying to sell us their products, fiom every comer. When T engage in a recreational activity, I just want to avoid that for a litle while What kinds of advertisements do you dislike? I dislike all kinds of advertisements, to be perfectly honest. But I especially despise when an advertisement tries to emotionally manipulate somebody into buying a product. For example, a famous TV advert in the UK tries to associate childhood memories and nostalgia with a particular brand of car. I think that this is rather morally bankrupt. and it sccms to be becoming increasingly common. Do you share advertisements with others? Ican’t recall ever sharing an advertisement for positive reasons. Sometimes, if there has been an advertisement that’s famously offensive or unintelligible, then I have shared that with some of any friends for a laugh. The closest thing to an advertisement I regularly show to my friends would be new trailers for upcoming films that look entertaining. Do you wantto work in advertising in the firure? Notat all [believe that, if worked in the advertising field, it wouldiGlowlyi begin to chip away atany.soul sincelid.be doing something that 1.was morally opposed tog Of courses many people work in advertising and I have nothing against them - its just @ job afferalleButpnot only do 1 dislike the idea,L.also thik 1'd bea very bad sAlesperson since Pn not particularly gregarious or pushy. Sitting down Where is your favorite place to Sit? There's a cafe that I regularly go to, and they have incredibly comfy seats. So, éVery Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, I will go to that store, order a flat white coffee, and shump into the chair. I'm not exaggerating when I say that sitting down there is a highlight of my week! I can spend hours and hours just browsing my phone in the chair, and sometimes I even fall asleep there. Do you always sit down for a long time? ‘Whenever I take a seat somewhere, I try to remain sedentary for as long as possible. I'm quite a lazy person, s0 I thoroughly enjoy just being able to sit down for extended periods of time. If Tm. not going to remain in one place for a long time, then I will try to remain standing. so as not to get too comfortable. PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Do you feel sleepy when you are sitting down? I don’t usually get sleepy when T take a seat, but it’s all dependent on a range of different factors, such as how comfy the chair is and how tired T am in the first place. Sometimes, I feel my eyes, start to shut by themselves, but usually I find it difficult to sleep in any position which isn’t lying down in 2 normal bed. When you were a kid. did you usually sit on the floor? I suppose I did, although it wasn’t something I'd make a habit of, necessarily. I don’t really have ‘too many reservations about sitting on the floor or a patch of grass as an adult, so I’m certain 1 didn’t mind it too much as a child. IPT was in an area with no available seating ot benches. then it'd just make sense to take a seat on the floor. Have you ever seen some old buildings in the city? As soineone with a vested interest in history and architecture, I make it my mission to search out for historical buildings everywhere I go. In the city I live in right now, Changsha, my favourite building is Tiamxin Pavilion, which is probably one of the oldest in the whole area. Due to a fire that bumed down a large part of the city, thete aren't roo many historical buildings here, but it makes it even more interesting when you do find one. Do you think we should preserve old buildingsiin cities? Absolutely. Buildings such as old temples,andypavilions are cultural relics and deserve to be protected at all costs. It’s quite disheartening to see old, wooden or stone buildings being tom down in favour of skyscrapers or tall, featureless apartment blocks. We should definitely prioritise older buildings. Do you prefer living in an old building or a modem house? ‘This is a difficult question, since there are aspects I like about both. Of course. I think that old buildings are very important to preserve and retain a lot of culture and history. However, new buildings are certainly more convenient and safe. If a building is too old, then it is more liable to collapse or be susceptible to damage fiom the elements, whereas modem houses are better equipped to handle that kind of issue. Are there any old buildings you want to see in te future? Why? There;are mainy historical sites and buildings throughout the world that I'm desperate to seé-1f 1m talking about one in particular. then the Jokhang Temple in Tibet iminediately comes to ind Not Oulysisiitya place of great hisforicalinterest. but tere’s alsOla fascinating spiritual element to it which entices me, Haviligsaid that, Td be interested in visitingyanyskind of old buildingssjusteimagining how it would have appeared throughout history is. very thought- provoking, Do you often read books? When? Of course I read books. Not only do I read them for recreational purposes. but I also need to read books for my job. I's pivotal that, as someone who is in the educational field, you are well-read and continuously seek out knowledge. Sure, you are able to get this through the intemet nowadays - but, to me, nothing feels better than actually reading a book and getting the information straight from the source Do you read differently now than you did before? Although Tm very interested in eading, T actually read less than I used to, and T tend to skim books more nowadays. This is a shame since I do love being engrossed in a book, but Ino longer have the time to fully dedicate myself to dissecting and intricately analysing a books themes and concepts. So I would say thatthe difference isn’t just in quantity, but also quality of reading PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Have you ever read a novel that has been adapted into a film? T've read many books that have then gone on to become movies. Novels are a very popular source material now for films, since the story is essentially already finished. One example I can think of from recent years is Dune - although this novel had already had one film adaptation, Hollywood recently made another version of it. Although I've read the novel, I've yer to see this, newest film: I've only seen the older version. How often do you buy a book? 1 like to buy books frequently. although it’s rather embamassing that they'll often just end up collecting dust on my bookshelf IT had to put a munber on it, T'd say T buy one every month or two, IfT find the topic interesting, and it’s cheap enough, then I'm willing to buy it - recently T ‘went to a cafe where they were selling books and I picked up a very cheap copy of the Confucian Analects for about twenty yuan. It’s great value for money. ‘What sports do you like? I'm only really into one sport, and that’s football. Typically, I both enjoy playing and ‘watching football, although I can’t say that I have any real talent for it. In terms of why I enjoy it so mmch, I think that it’s largely to do with my cultural heritage. Football is something that a majority of British peopl@iwill follow to some degree. ‘Where did you leam how to do it? ‘There was no one exact moment in which I can remember starting to play football, since it’s something I will have done ever since I've been able to kick my legs! However, 1 started playing on teams when I was about 6 years old, and that’s where I leamed most of the techniques that I have Did you do some sports when you were young? ‘As I have mentioned before, I’ve played football ever since I was a toddler. However, uy parents also took me to an ice rink to go skating rather frequently, although I never picked up the knack for that at all, and I still can’t skate to this day. I didn’t really enjoy playingysportsitoo muchvasa youngster. ‘Do you think students need more exercise? Isimperativerthatstudents, and all children as axmattér of fact,afe/abletO exercise and do sports regularly. It would be sfgafly beneficial for them to gefiintorthis\kind of habit agigarlyjas possibley aiid eventually it will pay dividends, Ifa student'doesnotexercise at regular infervals, then thiéy may HoffOily get Gverweight, buflbecome lazier as they grow older, Do you like the moming or evening? I don’t have any strong feelings about what time of day it is, although I tend to be far more productive in the evening. In the moming, I’m usually to sleepy and exhausted to be able to do anything beyond trying to keep awake. So, with this in mind, Td say that the evening is probably better time for me, fiom a working perspective. ‘What do you usually do in the evening? Most of my evenings, I have to spend time preparing for work the next day. This will involve creating powerpoint presentations, researching different topics and making sure that everything is presented in a legible way. Other than that, I will have a cup of coffee and, if I have enough free time, maybe meet up with some friends. -FSERREB, 2022479-121 Wis aE ‘What did_you do in the evening when you were little? Why? In my childhood, I had lots of time to play games and be creative in the evenings. Maybe 1 would try to write a little story or draw something. When I was a child, I had a huge imagination, and so I would never truly be bored just playing by myself in the evenings. Nowadays, I year for the amount of free time I had to dedicate to creative pursuits! Are there any differences between what you do in the evening now and what you did in the past? Definitely. Nowadays, I have to mostly dedicate my evenings to doing things that my work requires of me, or compromising with other people in activities. When T was younger, T was able to be a bit more selfish with my fice time and could pretty much do anything T wanted within reason. My evenings go by far more quickly now that I’m busier. a SHS Alpaca Training 10 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Part 2 Describe a family member who you want to work with in the future You should say Who he/she is What kind of work you would like to do with hinv/her And explain how you feel about this family member Usually I abide by the idea of family and business not being able to mix; sometimes, it is difficult to balance a work relationship with closer, familial ties. However, if I had to work with a family member, I would choose to work with my father -he is an incredibly diligent and driven, man when it comes to his job, which would mean that he'd take any task he was given very seriously. This is something that I think is very valuable in any colleague, and it would allow us to be able to put aside our father-son relationship and focus purely on our work. In tems of occupation, we both have a common interest in DIY - do-it-yourself. Pethaps we could work ‘together doing some carpentry or artisan woodwork. His experience in this field would allow me to be able to leam on the job and gain valuable menial skills for the future. Generally. I feel that my father would be able to excel at a variety of different vocations - he has worked in some practical, hands-on jobs such as plumbing, but then moved into an administrative role in a big, company due to his excellent personality traits. All in all, T can’t think of any other family ‘member, ot distant relation, that would be a more suitable work partner than my dad. Part 3 What kinds of family business are common in China? This is a rather difficult question for me to answer given my background, but based on what know. I would venture to guess that most companics and businesses in China areu’t ones that are passed down through the family. However. I'm sure there are some local shops or restaurants that will have been handed fiom one generation to another. Other than this. I know of some cafes, and clothes shops that are co-owned by siblings and, although this isn’t how we'd typically think of a “family business”, 1d still say that this is a relevant example. In summary. I wouldn't really say that any family businesses are particularly common in modem day China, but family-run restaurants and comer shops are probably the ones we can most frequently find Is it go8 to woll with fainily membé®? Why? | tink there’ are bothienificant advantages and disadvantageS{fO Working with fanily menibers, although Ijam personally of the opinion that family and business shouldn't really mix. It is true ‘ifata closer relationship with your colleagues lin this)case beig family members, cam lead to a better rapport and understanding of each other at work, However, the sif@sSeSaild pressures of a pfofessional environment can very often have damaging effects on family-relationships. Another problem is that, if you ha¥éla probleii(6f issue afjwork witha client or customer that gets out of ‘hand, it can soon become a family-wide problem and staraffectingsyour personal situation outside off Worksel any opinion, :aese ar€ almostyunavoidablesissues thatywouldspreclude me fromgoing into basiness with a close frmily member. ‘Why do people want to do family business? Some people are under the impression that, if an entire family goes into business for itself, then it can lead to either a greater share of profits or a smoother working experience. Another big, reason is, quite simply. tradition; if your family have been the owners of a business that has existed for many generations, then there will perhaps be more pressure to contribute to that business in some Way. T do, however, believe that most people who are in a family business don’t necessarily want to do it out of personal interest, but rather feel obligated to assist their family in some way. This is especially true in the modem day, where I think more and more ‘young people are becoming increasingly independent and entrepreneurial. There’s a very slim ‘hance that they will actually choose to join this business of their ovm volition. ‘What benefits are there witen working for big companies? u PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Usually, big companies have achieved their status for a reason, and one of these reasons may be that they attract more workers to their company. One way to do this is by providing more and mote benefits, whether they'd be some kind of insurance o pension, ot even just by rewarding employees with semi-fiequent gifts and rewards. Another sizeable advantage of big companies, over smaller ones is that they are usually more sustainable and secure; it’s far less likely for an established company that has existed for many years to suddenly go bankrupt. Some people might accuse a big company of not having as sich soul or character as a smaller one, and maybe there is an element of me that believes it would be more difficult to truly connect with yout colleagues at a large business, but it’s unarguably less risky. Describe a popular/vell-known person in your country ‘You should say Who this person is ‘What he/she had done Why he’she is popular And explain how you feel about his person. ‘The UK is a country that is renowned for being home to many famous people, of all different kinds of professions. If I'm talking about the most well-known person in the UK, then it would absolutely have to be our monarch, Queen Elizabeth the Second. She has been the head of state since 1952 and, despite all the issues the monar¢hy has had throughout the past seven decades. she still remains a popular figurehead. Perhaps she retains her popularity duc to her calm and collected personality, which is considered to be a national wait of British people. Therefore. she effectively represents our national character, according to some people. Her reign as Queen has, seen a lot of very unpopular politicians come and go in the govemment. but she has been a constant, so many people see her as somewhat of a source of stability. Personally speaking. I don’t really have any kind of sentimental notion towards the monarchy. and therefore I don’t feel particularly positively towards the Queen. In general, I think that we shouldn't reward entitlement, and the Queen is the ultimate product of entitlement - she’s had everything handed to her on a plate. Having said that, part of me does admire her longevity and ability to keep pushing forward despite her advanced age. It is certainly truc that not everybody would be able to keep up so many public appearances in theit 90s Patt3; ‘What kinds of people are popular at work? ‘Theskinds ofspeople who are popular af work tend»to bé) gregarious, Outgoing aiid, diligent. Altiough the first two aren't nécess.afylfor being popular at work, I'd say being hard-working is absolutely anjessentia! personality trait for making fiends at work. Of course, you have to be a likeable person in other aspects. bub ifiyouif€olleagues see'you being lazy, then they are bound t0 complain about you behind your back: Shy people often have a difficult time getting along with peopléat Work though, eveinif they, workthatd®1 can, speak fiom,petSoual experience. At my first place of employment, even though I worked Very hard, Iwas also rather shy and a lot of my fellow workers interpreted this 4s atrogance or nideness! whieh wasn’t at all inteutional. So. all inall, there isn't one particular trait that guarantees a person will be popular. but it always helps to work tirelessly and be sociable with your colleagues. Are bosses more popular than employees at work? Generally speaking, I think that people find it more easy to get along with people at the same level as themselves. so they'll get along with their fellow employees, even if they appear to be friendlier with their bosses on a surface level. I reckon that, if they appear to be closer to their supervisors or superiors, this is mostly an action devised to help them raise their status in some way. therefore gaining a promotion or pay rise. Of course, this doesu’t uecessatily mean that all, bosses will be disliked: certainly, in smaller businesses and companies, it would be easier to get along with ones superiors T think. Having said that, most employees will ty to keep some level, of professional distance between themselves and their bosses. 2 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Which one is mote important, Keeping a good relationship with colleagues or doing well at work? I don’t necessarily believe that the tWo things are mutually exclusive actually. In fact, quite the ‘opposite; it might be a good idea to try and forge closer relationships with your fellow colleagues, if you want to be recommended for a promotion of some sort since. often, these kind of things are decided by other people in the company. However. if we are talking about a hypothetical situation where you can only choose one or the other, then I would suggest that it's more important to do well at work and make a living for yourself. Ultimately, working is not about socialising and you shouldn't be distracted fiom your main tasks when you're on the job. This isn’t to say that you can’t socialise at all, but you definitely shouldn't do it to the detriment of your work. ‘What benefits are there when a child is popular at school? If a child is popular, then they will likely be able to form connections and socialise with people more effectively later on in their life. This isn’t always the case, and many popular kids at my school have failed to fulfil their potential, but it's statistically likely that outgoing, affable children are going to become more respected and hold more authority in higher positions. In temns of the more obvious benefits, being popular means that you would have many fiiends and, if you have many fiends, you are less likely to be bored. For a child, this is pivotal and necessary; childten need to be able to have peers that they can play with sometimes. Describe a friend you like to talk with ‘You should say Who he/she is ‘What you like to talk about Why you like to talk with him/her ‘And explain how you feel about him/her Every day, J always have conversations with my fiend, Aidan, who lives in the UK. When I was in the UK myself, we were best fiends and roommates, so we were able to share many interesting stories with cach other, and have conversations touching on a wide variety of topics, ranging fiom problems that we note about society to interesting historical anecdotes. We both studiedithe samtesubjecyatuniversity™ politics,- sowenlsoshiare a large mutual interest inthat ‘topicnevemif we smutied different aspects of the major. However, after moving countries, we aren't able to talk face-to-face anymore. whidliis a huge shame. AS a result of this)we have resortedsto chattingyvia FaceTime, which isn’ ya perfect sibstitute. but/still/getstheljob done. J like to tall to Aidan because he'is ultimately a very empathetic and uiderstanding person, who is alwaysoable to relate to everyone, He is my bestfriend for thisireeson in addition to the fact that hae fs one of the most intelligent andknowledzeable people that know, meaning that T am able to trust hii to give me sound advice whenever [am in need of it. Whilst I'm not a very sociable petsOfiand feud to ayoid getting into socilsitudtious wherever possible, Lwill certainly go out of my way to be able to chat with Aidan. Patt 3 Where do young people like to meet? ‘Young people have a variety of different options when it comes to places that they might meet each other. T don’t think there is one particular place that comes to mind, although typically ‘young people are more fond of livelier and louder locations than older people. One example of a place like this would be a bar or a nightclub, perhaps. However, many young people don’t really enjoy this kind of thing either, and are far more likely to want to meet at a quieter location such as in a park or, perhaps. at a cafe. Increasingly. younger people enjoy playing games and so may also Want to meet their peers at au arcade or some place of that ilk. ‘What do young people talk about when they meet up? It would heavily depend on the young people, but usually they would talk about some celebrity B PRET AB, 2022492 EEE news, recent popular culture, topics related to their hobbies and interests, or perhaps even some gossip in their friendship circle. When it comes to me and my own citcle of friends, however, we Often prefer to talk about philosophy and literature, since it related to our studies and we are able to leam things together by discussing these things. On the whole, I don’t think that young people will necessarily have a distinctly different range of topics to talk about than old people. but perhaps the music and movies they might talk about and engage with will be more cusrent. Do you think people should be honest when talking with friends? ‘Usually many people abide by the maxim that “honesty is the best policy”, meaning that they believe that being honest is something you should aspire to. However, sometimes T think that small white lies might be necessary in ofder not to offend people that you care a lot about, stich, as friends of family. For example. if a friend of mine has put on some weight or is wearing something 1 would consider to be unfashionable, then I think it’s better to not bring up my concems since it would make them feel bad and isn’t really necessary. If you have nothing good. to say. then you shouldn't say anything at all, in my opinion. The ouly time that I would change any opinion about this is if they are doing something that might seriously affect their life or other peoples impressious of them. On what occasions do people talk with strangers? People are less likely to physically talk to strangers nowadays as perhaps they would have been in previous generations. Rather. when peopla)talk to strangers nowadays. it’s usually via the intemet. Otherwise, people will often talk to stfahgers when they are ordering something, or using a service - people will very rarely just lak to strangers if they want a casual chat, unless they are very lonely. Personally speaking, I very rarely chat with strangers about things beyond surface level discussions, but perhaps I will sometimes be more social in a setting such as a bar or a cafe, where conversations are able to flow much more freely. Generally speaking, when 1 am just going about my day, I will choose to interact with people I don’t know as little as possible. Describe something that surprised you ‘You should say: What itis How you found out about it ‘What you did And explain whetherit made you happy For my 21 birthday, my fiends aud fimily suprised me with a Virthdayspartysthat) wasn't expecting, Typicallys I/am not a person who likes surprises and. truth be told, T-don't like the idea of a sumprise birthdayypany citherakioWeversh greatly appreciated the gesture and thought it ovely for so many people to show up just to make me happy, My parents had offered To take me for ameal at alocal Chinese restaurant forsmybinhday. and Tthought thatitd.be alow-key and quiet affair. But when arvived at ihe restaurant. I immediately noticed that there were banners, balloons and colifetti adorning the building. Tt was af this point that I put two and fwo together and figured out it was all for me. What a lovely thing for them to do! The rest of the evening was fun, and I had some interesting conversations. All in all, even though I wouldn't typically be into this sort of event, it certainly made my birthday very special. Despite this, I stili hold the same opinion as 1 did before; T somewhat dislike surprises, even positive ones, and T don’t wish t0 have another surprise birthday any time soon. It is just, to be frank, far easier and less stressful to know what is going to happen throughout the day. even if the event itself might not be as special. Part 3 ‘How do people express happiness in your culture? British people tend to be rather reserved in their emotions and try not to express too much extreme happiness or sadness in theit every day life, However, when showing happiness, British people tend to be quite grateful and humble. and will be thankful to the person that has made “4 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE them happy. Often, when British people have received some good news, they will go to the pub oor a restaurant to celebrate with their fiiends or family, usually treating people to something. For example, when my fiiend announced his engagement, he decided to treat us all to a curry and a beer at a local Indian restaurant, and it was a very joyous occasion where we all told each other jokes. This is probably the most comfortable situation for a British person to express happiness. Do you think happiness has any effect on people? How? ‘Yes. of conse it does! Well. obviously. happiness can make a person’s life that little bit brighter and can encourage them to go on and achieve greater things with their life. It is all dependent on what Kind of happiness it is; there’s short-term happiness which can be achieved by. pethiaps, cating a nice meal or watching a movie, Then there’s long-term happiness which only comes, ‘when a person feel settled or satisfied with their life. It is this latter happiness that truly can affect the way a person lives, behaves and interacts with the people around them. But even Short. ‘erm happiness can drive people on to do something positive. For example, if clean my room and it looks tidy, I will automatically feel more joy in the fact that I have done something productive, and I will go on to something else that is productive. ‘How can people be happy? People can achieve happiness if they make the right choices at certain crossroads in their life. For example, making a decision to delay gratification in order to achieve something in a more timely fashion may lead to greater happiness in the long-term. On a simpler note. if one engages in hobbies or activities that they enjoy, or is ablet® express themselves, then they can also live a positive life. This isn’t always the case tiowgh, for example, an addict might do something that makes them happy for a short period of time, but is actually harmful to their happiness in the Jong mun, True happiness comes fiom making a string of good decisions and being able to capitalise on opportunities. Is it good for people to be unhappy? Why? I think it would be very difficult to argue that anybody should be unhappy. Of course. it” s common sense that unhappiness is overall a bad thing, and can lead to negativity that affects many people. However, there are some cases that justify being unhappy: for example, if somebody does something completely reprehensible and morally wrong. then it" s natural t0 ‘want them to be unhappy for a while and to, for all intents and purposes, do penance. In addition to this Sbmetiii€s we n€edjto, be mlppy, for a While’ @nd/experience:the bad:things»in life)in ofderto reflect mponjthe good things that we have, If we had no|sense of “unhappiness” ~titen, we woulda’ t know what “happiness” uuly'is Describe an occasion when someone gave-you positive @dvice or’Suggestions about your ‘work/study: ‘You should say Who the person is ‘What he/she said ‘How the advice/suggestion affected you ‘And explain how you felt about the advice/suggestions In any line of woik, I am constantly given advice and tips about how to improve the efficiency and productivity of what I do. In particular, I remember when my colleague Simon gave me advice about how to plan my lessons in a more coherent way. To begin with, T attended a seminar he was holding about lesson planning and design. in which T found myself leaming a lot, about how to structure my classes in a much more organised fashion. After that, we went for a coffee together and he browsed some of my lesson plans, giving critiques about how to make it tie together better. This included changing the aesthetics of my powerpoint presentation, using less time to get my points across in class, and also making sure to check that the students have 1s PRET AB, 2022492 EEE Jeamed everything they need to. Although I had thought about these things before, I really came to realise how important they were once Simon told me, and it showed me that I needed to dedicate much more time into creating a good lesson plan before I go to my classes and teach, Ever since we had that discussion, I have noticed that there is a much better flow to my lessons, and the activities seem to be much more engaging for the students. All in all, I feel like this is a great example of positive criticism, and it shows why transparency is important in the workplace. Part 3 ‘When should parents encourage their children? Parents should always be encouraging and support their children in their aspirations, but there ate times that, of course, they should be more reserved in their encouragement. Primarily, T think. ‘that parents should encourage their children when they are doing something that makes them ‘truly happy. as long as what they are doing isn’t having a detrimental effect on anyone else. So. for example, if a child is very interested in a hobby such as skateboarding, it should be fully encouraged. However, if the child enjoys racing on public roads, then of course this should be fully discouraged. Many parents are skeptical about encouraging their children to do activities which they sce as taking away fiom their studics but, sometimes, these activities can enable children to leam in different ways and gain some valuable lessons for the fate. Should parents always encourage their children? Parents must encourage their children when they are doing something positive or something that will help them in the future. However. not everythifig they do should be encouraged. especially if it coustitutes hannful or self-destructive béhviow:; if they constantly encourage them to do these things then a child might become lazy, arogant or perhaps even form addictions. It is always good to encourage children in their passions and hobbies, provided that they do not harm others, but they must also be able to find a balance between these interests and their school work. Only by doing this can they leam all the skills that might be necessary for them to succeed in society in the future, Do you think negative feedback is more important than positive feedback? Why? Both negative feedback and positive feedback are necessary for personal growth and development, but I wouldn't really say that one type is more important than the other. For a start, if someone does something really great and you begin to nitpick it and seek out negativity, then this might justadiscourage.them from doing something that is good in, thesfuture, But_also, positive feedback about something that a petson works really hand:at can likewise convince thein 1o-work equally hard in the fitre. Having said this.) aegative feedbacklisjemicialyat times. especially in. situations that miglif| demasid| perfection, such as at worksSomespeople are also niotivated by negative comments andymight strive to do better at something, the ext time that they. doit Why ate negative feedback as important as positive feedback at work? In agworkplace, it’s often very important toyseek out perfection and r€finement, and so in that sense a person needs to be cfitiqued wheneverthey do somiething incorrectly, Ah example of this ‘would be in the culinary industry: ifa head chef kept approving and sending outmediocre dishes that the other cooks prepare, then their standards would be much lower on the wii6le. So, they ced to give them some feedback about how to improve and, a lot of the times, this cau have a slightly negative tinge. Positive feedback can certainly have its benefits but, if a company or workplace is to keep consistently competitive, then they'll very much nced to instill a strong sense of self-reflection in their employees. Describe a way/change that helps you save a lot of time ‘You should say ‘What it is 16 AEB 2002%9-241 (iE How you implement it How difficult is And explain how you feel about the way/change Every day, I wake up to many different tasks that I have to complete, and these tasks often pile ‘up in my memory. In order to combat this, I have started to create to-do lists every day so that, when I think about a task that needs finishing, it will always remain fresh in my mind. I would ‘thoroughly recommend this kind of change to anybody: it’s easy and cheap to create, simple to keep and requires a very low amount of effort. Admittedly, I did have trouble maintaining a to- do list when I first started to create them: I would misplace my list or pethaps just be too complacent and choose not to add tasks to it. But eventually, T made keeping this list a priority and decided to always keep it on my person. Ever since T did this, I've noticed that T can now get ‘through my tasks ten times as quickly as before: although I may still have a lot of things to do ‘throughout the day. this has also allowed me to have much more free time than I would have before. It has shown me that, in reality, these tasks don’t need to take too long. but I mustn't let anyself forgot about them, otherwise they will keep accumulating. Keeping a to-do list has made any life a great deal more convenient on the whole, and I think it's something that is wholly positive with no real drawbacks. Part 3 ‘What can people do to save time? ‘There are many shortcuts that one can take in order to save time and enlarge their amount of free time. This might be something as simple _as takin a longer. but less busy route to work; for example, although the route I take to wot by bus isn’t as short as on the main road, there are never any traflic jams and so I can always get there more quickly. People can also save time by getting their chores done all in one go at the beginning of the day; I believe that productivity begets productivity, and it’s easiest to complete a task when you have just finished another one. In addition to this, people might be able to save time if they spend a little more money for ceitain conveniences, such as dishwashers or vacuum cleaners. Does technology help people save time? How and why? Technology has the power to both save time and, in some cases, complicate things further, especially where computers are involved. However, in tems of houseliold conveniences such as vacuum cleaners, dishwashers and washing machines, it is inarguable that these kind of machines and gadgets haye.cnabled sito have a larger-amount of recreationabtime, In fact this kind, of technology. was ‘built specifically ih order to save timeyand allow people to be able to relax as much as possible. Another kind of technology we ean use as(an example'of saving time ‘would be.a calculator. instead of Sending|Hiours figuring out endless equationsspeople are now able to simply tise this tiny machine and:solve equations in a matter of'instanis Do you think parents sliould:be responsible for teaching children to save time? Parents certainly have a'tesponsibility te teaclitheit kids how to menage time, although it is pivotal, thatithis doesn’t come at the expenseiofthard work. T@ give an example. whilst it might be pmdent fo feachja'child 16 leant how to use a calewlator/and find ont the solutiog to/a problem. it'S equally as important that they understand the jouniey to the answer: this will, inevitably. take auuch more time. I think it’s much more relevant to teach children how to managé time instead: how to effectively balauce their work and recreational time, and how to make sure that they always can finish their jobs and chores by their deadlines. Once they leam how they can do this, then they will, of couse, naturally be able to save more time. Do people who can manage time well become successfull more easily? ‘Time management is something that is essential to any level of success, whether this be at a professional level or even just a social level. If you aren't able to manage your time, then eventually different tasks aud obligations will begin to weigh down on you and, most likely, you will either be late or fail to complete them. As you can imagine, this isn’t at all conducive to having a successful life. One of my fiiends is an incredibly bright person who could have done extremely well in his profession but, because he kept putting things off and delaying the 7 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE completion of some of his tasks, was surprisingly ustccessfil at his job and eventually got fired. Describe a time when you helped a child You should say When it was ‘How you helped hinvher Why you helped him/her And hiow you felt about it I don’t offen get the opportunity to help children outside of an educational context; but whenever can be of some kind of use, I will be. One example I can think of as to when I helped a child is fiom a few years ago when I used to work in a cafe. Once, during the cafe’s mish hour at about Iunchtime, I noticed a very tense and nervous looking child and I immediately apologised to the customer I was serving and began to ask the child what the matter was. The kid replied that he couldn't find his mother and began to cry - although T was very inexperienced in this kind of situation and, admittedly, felt a little nervous about it myself, I used my common. sense and calmed the child down. T gave him a small cake and a hot chocolate for free, and asked for his name. As it happens, the motier was also panicking and searching for the child, and I was able to track her down through a social media platform by searching the name the child provided me with. Ten minutes later. she walked through the store with tears in her eyes. and everyone in the situation felt a wave of relief. In particular felt relieved with the situation since it could have cscalated into somthing more serious if we coulda't find the mother. Altogether, I experienced a range of different emotions and feclings but ultimately managed to react well. Part 3 Do you often help kids? How? If you define teaching and educated children as helping them, then yes. | believe I help kids everyday. However, outside of this context, I admit that I don’t often get the opportunity to interact with children and therefore don’t usually help them that much. I's wot due to a lack of willingness, but rather the fact that no situation thus far has necessitated it. However, if a child has any kind of question about a subject I know, or needs assistance with something, then I'm always happy to give a hand. I like to think of myself as an approachable person in times of need, so that fchildiem ever needisome helpethey can ialistome, Why is it necessary to do voluteer services? Wiithoutskindnessand volunteering, the world falls apart ~/if]s as simplé/a8 that! /Tliere are some tasks that just, quite simply, will never nm at_a profit in this day andvageybutyare still very necessary Since they cotiribute slot in terms oF providing basic services. For example, I know a nian Who muns a dog house’ thete aresabout temjor fifteen doggyin total, which of course will require a lot of food and resources. Fvery rarely see other people go in. there, so I cai't imagine thautley take much of a profit. Howeversifinolone provided that service, then maybe, the dogs wouldn't be able to live such a pleasant and relaxed Tife-and would be out on the streets. ‘What can schools do to develop students’ awareness of volunteering? Ifa school wants to promote volunteering and charity, then they need to make their students, know the true benefits of it. Firstly, they need to be honest - volunteering isn’t about the reward, it’s about doing the right thing. This would develop the students empathetic abilities and make ‘them more productive members of society on the whole. Secondly. a school’s curriculum needs to spread awareness about why the issue at hand is important through their regular classes. whether it be leaming about underprivileged children in a history class. or about disasters and disaster relief in a geography class. The students need to be able to appreciate exactly why they should do these activities without expecting a reward at the end of it. ‘Who benefit more from the volunteer services, the volunteers or the people helped? This is an interesting question and it can certainly be argued that both the volunteers and the 18 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE recipients of help both benefit from these services in a certain way. Perhaps the volunteers will gaitl a sense of self-satisfaction and will appear to be greater in others eyes, However, in terms of tangible benefits, I still believe that the people who are being assisted by these services benefit ‘more greatly. Ultimately, the reason that these services exist is still to help those in need, and it requires a lot of hard work. So whilst the volunteers might benefit in a certain way. they also bear the brunt of the hard work that it takes to deliver satisfactory results. Describe a time when you used your cellphone to do something important You should say What happened When it happened How important the cellphone was And explain how you felt about the experience In the current day and age, T think that my cellphone is involved in pretty much everything important that [ have to do, whether it be something related to my job, my finances, my health or even making decisions and plans. One instance of this happening is when I had to transfer some money back home using my cellphone last summer. Since my local bank cannot convert to foreign currencies. Ihad fo use my phone to acess various different bank accounts and research how I would be able to send money to theyUKe This was something of the utmost importance since I nceded the money to pay for my student loaus: if Thad failed to do it in time. then there would be a possibility that my interest would be raised. Nowadays. many people find paper letters to be obsolete when dealing with issues such as this: certainly, T wouldn't be able t0 receive a letter when I live in China. So, the cellphone was absolutely essential in order to be able to get anything done. Personally. I'm not a huge fan of the fact that everything hinges on mobile phones. since they can very easily be manipulated or hacked into. If something went wrong with the transfer, then it could very easily lead to a loss of money which would be very difficult to recover Part 3 ‘What do you usually do with a cellphone? use miyjcellphowe for aywariety of different purposes. both recreational and-occupational. Ormy ‘waypto Work fodayieto give @ common example. I use my photte to listen to music, check the ‘news, contact my colleagues and make plans fOr the day|ahead. Evel for siniple tasks? such as calculating numbersvand telling the time. all | need to-do is\theck my plioney Nowadays. we use cour mobile phoues as versatile tools {iff order to complete pretty much amy-taskeweineed to do. Sometimes, whemijm feling particularly lazy, Tight event use my phone to order some food to get delivered straizht tommy doorssomethingy that'sebecominz an increasingly common occurrence What are the differences between young people and old people when using a celiphione? ‘There are many"differences between the ways that younger people and the elderly might use a mobile phone. From what I can see, older people tend to only use mobile phones when absolutely necessary: if they need to access some governmental assistance or contact their family, perhaps, On the other hand, young people are more likely to use theit phones for mote frivolous means, such as playing games ot making small chat with their fiiends, and a vast majority of young people will use a mobile phone to use social media apps. Another difference that I've noticed is that the text on older people’s phones is often larger and easier to read than on a ‘younger persons phone. This is. of course, easily explainable - as we get older, our vision naturally becomes worse ‘Which one is more important, using a cellphone to make phone calls ot to read messages? Both reading messages and making phone calls ate basic fnetions of mobile phones that are absolutely essential. In terms of which is more important. it would depend on the context: 19 PRET AB, 2022492 EEE certainly, I and most other people I know are more likely to send messages to each other, since it doesn't require the other person being available, and they can read it at theit own time, In addition, you can get across a larger amount of information mote quickly. However, in an emergency situation, a phone call would be much mote useful; if you are in desperate need of assistance, then a message might not reach anybody until it’s too late. Weighing both of the choices up, I would have to say that phoning people is more important for that specific reason. Do you think there should be a law to stop people from making phone calls in public? In some societies. it’s considered rude to make phone calls in public. especially if they are being especially loud, Certainly, I don’t like to hear other peoples conversations and believe that it can be rather inappropriate in a public place. However, it would make no sense to ban public phone calls: often, people will only make these phone calls if there is an emergency or situation which calls for immediate action. If we were to ban public calls, then people would, in theory. not be able to contact the police or ambulance if they were outside of their house, which seems completely nonsensical. Whilst I might find it annoying that people converse too loudly. ultimately. being able to make phone calls in public is something that has stopped a lot of robberies and kept alot of people alive after medical incidents Describe a time you were very busy ‘You should say ‘When it happened ‘Where you were ‘What you did And explain why you were busy. Nowadays, my life is always occupied with work and, therefore, I never really have much time for myself, As such, I can say that I’m busy a majority of the time. In particular, I think one of the busiest periods of my life was when I was moving house, which was actually just a couple of weeks ago, I was moving to a new place closer to my job, but I was trying to balance this feat with planning my work and various different meetings. In addition to this, I had to endure some medical difficultics and bank issues that complicated the situation: it seemed like, with every ‘waking moment, there would be a new obstacle that would arise to eat up my fiee time. Because I don’tihave a cat, I'd havevto take snypbelongingsifiommnyrold house toanyimewoneabag-at a times which also slowed down the process of moving house anidjave me more issues T fiad’to deal with: It would be the ease where 1 would ave a huge bag around my shoulder with lots of ‘mypersonal items»ayphone in one of my handsstrying.to cOitact my colleagues for Work issues, aid a folder fill of documents relatitig fo my work permit in the otherhandslyamithe kind of ersomwhio isyeasily, stfessed out by these kinds of situations, and so. you.can-imagine that 1 didn’t really handle this imayhealthyway-

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