LM-1001 PRACTICE: ORAL EXAM 1

Have a conversation with your partner to address these questions.

Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic. Reference to current events is advisable.
You are two UCR students who talk about shopping preferences:
● What are FOUR reasons why consumers—especially people your age-- now
prefer to purchase items online?
● What do you think about online shopping?
● If you need to buy clothes, do you prefer to visit a store or a virtual one? Explain
your answer.
● Do you think that young people in our country now prefer online shopping instead
of wasting time to go to a mall or looking for a parking space?
● Do you think Costa Ricans’ preference for online shopping depends on their age
or technological skills? Justify your answer.

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Chapter 2: Shop Till You Drop!
Have a conversation with your partner to address these questions.
Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic. Reference to current events is advisable.
Reading 2: Selling and Sharing Online
In relation to online shopping, have a conversation in this way:
Student A: You know nothing about online shopping but need to buy some books
that you could not find in libraries near the UCR campus. Your classmate has
previous experience purchasing items online. Ask him or her questions and advice.
Ask about the meaning of swapping, selling, renting, and sharing items (refer to the
READING of Unit 2).
Student B: Your classmate needs help and advice on online shopping. Answer his
or her question related to the advantages and disadvantages of buying books, for
example, online OR downloading them from websites.
Have a conversation with your partner to address these questions.
Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic. Reference to current events is advisable.
You are two UCR students who discuss the use of social media to keep in touch with
others:
● How do young people in Costa Rica keep in touch with friends and family
members?
● What are some advantages and disadvantages of keeping in touch with others
though social networks? Which social app do you think best works to keep in touch
with others: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and so on? Why?
● Nowadays, young generations prefer digital communication instead of in-person
chatting. Do you think that they will not be able to develop soft skills at the job market
in the future?
● What kind of communication do you prefer? Why?

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Have a conversation with your partner to address these questions.

Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic.
Reference to current events is advisable.
You are two UCR students who discuss the use of voice messages to communicate
with other classmates:
● What are the advantages and disadvantages of voicemails or voice messages?
● In this remote-learning context, how do you normally talk about assignments,
projects, or exams with your classmates in this—or in the rest—of your courses?
● How often do you communicate with your professors? How effective is this
interaction?
● Do you frequently receive or leave voicemails OR e-mail? Why or why not?
● What role does age play in choosing a messaging method over the others?
Have a conversation with your partner to address these questions.
Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic.
Reference to current events is advisable.
You are two UCR students who discuss the effect of smartphones on one’s
wellbeing.
Student A: You are a journalist who needs to write an article on students’ overuse
of smartphone on their health. You friend know a lot about this issue. Ask him or her
questions.
Student B: You are taking LM-1001 and read and learned about this topic in the
course. Answer your friend’s questions.
● What do you think about people’s dependence on smartphones during this
pandemic? To what extent, has this affected their mental and physical health?
● What are some disadvantages of using a smartphone for many hours during the day?
● What do you use apps for? Give examples.
● What types of apps do you use the most—or the least? ● What type of app that does
not exist do you think would be useful to have for UCR STUDENTS? Explain why.
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Have a conversation with your partner to address these statements/questions.
Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic.
Reference to current events is advisable.
You are two friends who talk about celebrations:
Student A: You are an international student who takes a course at UCR as part of
an exchange program. You want to know about an important celebration in Costa
Rica.
Student B: You are a Costa Rican student. Answer your friend’s questions.
● What is a well-known celebration in C.R. that may interest tourists or foreign
students?
● What does this celebration consist of? What do people do?
● How can a family or a group of friends be part of this celebration or event?
● What are some common meals that people in Costa Rica prepare during this
celebration?
Have a conversation with your partner to address these statements/questions.
Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic.
Reference to current events is advisable.
Student A: You need to write a composition about the ways that a foreign investor
from Japan—for example—should greet Costa Rican businesspeople. Your friend
knows about this topic. Ask him or her questions.
● What are some ways people greet each other worldwide? How should Costa
Ricans greet foreign businesspeople in a very formal context?
● How do Costa Ricans usually greet people? Think about body language or
distance while greeting.
● Compare greeting a classmate or coworker to greeting a businessperson you do
not know. What role do punctuality, gender, age, context and place play while
greeting others?
● What are some differences between businessmen and businesswomen regarding
how they greet in informal or formal contexts? Give examples.
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Have a conversation with your partner to address these questions.
Remember to mention details of the indicated listening or reading as well as your
opinion on the given topic.
Reference to current events is advisable.
● What are some ways to meet people and make friends and connections mentioned
in the listening?
● How can Costa Rican students—especially from distant zones—feel as they move
to a new city or college? How would you feel if you have to leave your family to move
out to San Jose and live in the UCR dorms in order to study a major? Would you feel
homesick and sad? Or—on the other hand— would you feel enthusiastic and excited
to pursue your goals and embark on such new experience?
● How can first-year UCR students meet others, make friends, and try new activities
when they enter university?
● How do you, or some people you know, usually react when facing new situations?
● What are some ways to start making small talk with new classmates at UCR? Think
about this virtual context and contrast it with face-to-face learning or in-person
classes on campus. TIP: Remember to review the content of the READING AND
LISTENING ACTIVITIES because the initial question of every situation refers to the
main ideas seen in the DIGITAL TEXTBOOK