People Cards

[1] Describe your best friend. You should say:

Where and when you met him/her

What you do together Something about his/her appearance and personality And explain why you think you are such good friends.

[1]

I met my best friend while I was at university. He was in the same class.

At first, he scolded me for leaning back on the chair, but, after a while, we

began to become good friends. I used to meet him regularly at an Internet

cafe. He went there regularly. We would spend hours there together. He

would always lend a hand to me because I didn't know much about

computers at that time.

He's a humble guy, never shows off his knowledge, even though he can.

He's sincere and doesn't mind mildly scolding you or even himself in all

the same sentence. He is usually very sociable, but sometimes he can also

be a bit shy. He is good at soccer and volleyball and used to be on the

school team. He's quite muscular and his hair is frizzy. He has very droopy

eyes, like a puppy, and a very wide mouth.

I think the main reason we are such good friends is because we have a lot

in common and we both have the same kind of humour. We also always

support each other whenever we need help. I think we are such good

friends because we don't feel we ever have to pretend around each other,

and we are really helpful to one another. I will miss this guy a lot if I go

overseas, but since he is always at the Internet cafe, I can email him, and

he's probably right there to receive it!

Describe a teacher that had a powerful effect on you. You should say: What subject the teacher taught you

When you had his/her class

Describe the teacher's appearance and personality And explain what effect the teacher had on you.

[2]

First let me tell you about my teacher Zhang Fei, who still works at the

Oalian Middle School number 23. She taught me English in school. I had

her class about 6 years ago, and she taught me for a full year.

First let me tell you how she looks. She looks very normal except that

she's very beautiful inside. She's tall and thin, but the thing you can notice

about her is her wonderful, dark eyes with very bushy eyebrows under her

spectacles. I can still picture her. You know she did not seem friendly at

first, because she is very stem when she speaks, and she will not tolerate

nonsense, but she is very kind in her own special way. She is also very

demanding and clear when she speaks, and her concern is not so much

with your grades but your effort.

The effect she had on me was very powerful. Essentially she taught me

that you could be very disciplined and stem and hard working but still be

very kind. Before, I thought all teachers who were strict were just mean.

After her, I learned that hard work is about not compromising on quality.

Describe yourself.

You should say: What you currently do

What you like and don't like doing

What your good points (strengths) and bad points (weaknesses) are And explain what's the best way to become your friend.

Well, to start with, I think I will tell you what I do. I am a lawyer here in

Shanghai and I've been working as an attorney for about 3 years. My work

is interesting, but it involves very complicated issues and often there are

various strategies that are necessary for success.

I enjoy meeting people and forming new relationships with people. I enjoy

hearing people's stories and I like trying my best to help them. I also enjoy

getting out with my friends and enjoying the entertainment places. I am a

big fan of jazz and there are a few places that I go to enjoy it. I can also

play the saxophone, and even play in a band at a bar from time to time, but

I don't have time to do it regularly.

What I don't like doing? Hmm..1et me think, well I suppose I just don't

like having to go through a lot of very tedious details at work, and, quite

frankly, I don't like clients who lie to me about their situation. There are

some things about the job which I don't like, and I'm not proud about

everything that I do, but overall I really like it.

I think my good points are that I'm quite good at communicating. I mean,

you have to be as a lawyer. I do know a lot about the law, especially

commercial law, which is my specialty. I have a good memory for legal

issues and law, and I can use them quite well to argue a point. My bad

points are that I am the worst person for remembering directions. I get loot

everywhere when I'm travelling. If you ask my wife she'll tell you that

there's nobody as bad as me for getting lost in places.

As for how you can be my friend, I think the key thing is that you just

need to have a good sense of humour and you just need to be honest in

your actions. Actually, I am quite willing to be anyone's friend, but I hate

people who make a big show of it. I don't need any special favours or gifts

to be my friends. If people just act like themselves...well, that's good

enough for me.

Describe a friend or relative who is very different from you. You should say: Where the friend lives How you met him/her

How he is different from you

And explain how you can still be good friends even though you are so different.

Right, well... I had a tough time thinking about who was most unlike me,

but I guess it would have to be my cousin, Zhou Jiao Ping. Jiao Ping is a

person who's so clever when it comes to business that I have chosen him,

because when it comes to business I always seem to make the wrong

decisions. Jiao Ping is a real estate agent who puts almost every extra

RMB into investments like property and stocks. He never seems to lose

money.

His job alone pays him a reasonable income, but he makes a lot on all the

private investments he makes, and perhaps you could call him a

millionaire. I, on the other hand, don't dare to invest my money because

I'm too afraid of losing it, and I prefer spending my money on things to

make me and others feel good.

Jiao Ping is a driven man and I like his energy and persistence. He's not a

boastful guy, in fact he's quite modest, but he's a complete workaholic and

even if you sit him down for over a minute he will think of things he could

be doing. He's a thin fellow, has no time for food it seems, and he has this

permanent smile on his face. He has quite a sharp wit, and never seems to

be serious when you talk with him, but in fact he's always thinking of this

and that.

Jiao Ping is very generous and lends money to so many people, without

even expecting them to pay it back. But he spends hardly a penny on

himself. He has no wife, and although he has about four homes, he lives in

a very small place. You might say he is a miser, but actually he just

doesn't care that much for luxuries since he doesn't get any pleasure from

them.

He's different from me in many ways. First, I enjoy spending money to

make myself happy. I also have to have a balance of work and pleasure. I

don't mind working hard during my work, but I can't stand always thinking

about work, and I need some time to just relax. I also don't feel so guilty

about wasting a bit of time every now and then.

Describe a friend, relative or other person who has a good sense of humour. You should say: How you know this person

What this person's job or major is

The kinds of things he/she says that are funny And explain how this person affects you (i.e. what impact this person has on you)

Ok, I've been asked to describe a person with a good sense of humour, and

the person I've chosen is my classmate Zhang Hui. Zhang. Hui is a boy

from Henan. He comes from Kaifeng. He majors in Economics and well, I

guess you can say that Economics is not the most interesting subject,

especially when the teachers start drawing graphics on the blackboard.

Zhang Hui just seems to know how to make a joke out of it all. He has this

funny face, which just adds to his humour.

I'll give you an example of how sharp his wit is. The instructor was talking

about the relationship of supply and demand, and was looking for

examples. So Zhang Hui stuck up his hand and said his mother is an

example. He said the more money he spends on university, the better

grades she demands. After he said that, everyone laughed so hard the

professor had to wait for five minutes before he could continue.

I guess the way this person affects me is that he teaches me that there is

nothing very serious in life. He puts me at ease and he reminds me that we

are all human. I don't get overstressed when I spend time with him because

he knows how to make a joke out of everything.

Describe a relative of yours who is very kind. You should say: Who the relative is

What he does and where he lives

What kinds of kind things he/she does And explain the effect he/she has on you.

Let me describe my grandfather. He was-I should say was because he

passed away a few years ago-very kind. My grandfather was just a farmer,

and he didn't earn much, but he found different ways to earn an income,

and managed to put my father through university. He lived in a village just

north of Beijing and often made the trip into the city. His life was hard, but

he never complained about it.

I say he was so kind because I'll never forget the efforts he made to help

me read. I was five years old and I haven't learned to read yet. My

grandfather spent so many hours helping me because my father had no

time. He would force me to come to his place and he tutored me very

strictly because he was determined that I would get a head start on the

other students. As a result, I could read before I entered school, and that

helped me gain an advantage in school.

Besides the fact that he taught me reading, he also taught me the value and

importance of. kindness to others. He told me that you don't do kindness

just to gain favour, but because that's what your true nature expects you to

do. As well, he taught me that kindness isn't all smiles and praise;

sometimes it involves strict and harsh words for the right reasons. He also

told me that a kind person always dies happy and I think he also died

happy.

Describe a famous person that you admire.

You should say: Who the person is and where he/she lives

What the person does

The things you admire about this person And explain what you think people can learn from this person.

The famous person I'd like to describe is Fu Mingxia. She was a gold

medallist at Sydney Olympic games. In fact, she won four of them. She

won them in the diving competition. She's now a student at Tsinghua

University. So she's quite clever and she will graduate from a top

university. She's about 25 years old. I think she must be blessed by god to

be able to dive so perfectly. After all, most divers have trained in diving

schools that are very sophisticated, but her training was not so privileged.

She just worked hard and had a very committed coach.

I think I admire her so much because I can imagine how nervous she felt

having the whole world watching her and yet she controlled that

nervousness masterfully to make a perfect dive. Well, its that ability to

control yourself that I'd really love to learn. Also, her diving style was

unique and very-brave, and because of her innovative style, she has

brought pride to her country.

I think that people can learn that by being the best at something you are

not only helping yourself

but the whole country, because high quality is what improves our lives. I

think people can learn that nothing is impossible if we set our minds to

being the best. We shouldn't always think we can just do what we must to

get by. Our goals should be much more ambitious. We should try to be the

best because we can take pride from the value of hard work in everything

we do.

Describe a person who has worked very hard to achieve something. You should say:

Who the person is and what relationship he/she has to you

What the person tried to achieve and the outcome The person's character

And explain how this person makes you feel.

The person I want to talk about who worked hard to achieve something is

the famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. Of course, I've never met him

but I did see him once in Beijing. He was coming out from the airport and

someone said, "There's Zhang Yimou", and sure enough it was.

I once read a biography of Zhang Yimou. He really had to struggle to

become a director. I read that he literally camped out and begged to be

accepted at a famous school in Beijing called the Beijing Film and

Cinematography Academy. He was five years over the age limit, but he

submitted a portfolio of his best photographs to the Minister of Culture,

and the minister was impressed and let him in.

I also know that he put a lot of effort into making his films artistic and

realistic and sometimes he took chances and made some adventurous films.

Like in 1987, he directed Red Sorghum and took a chance with the story,

which was a bit controversial, and he also used an unknown actress at the

time named Gong Li. He then went on to produce a lot of award winning

films, and now he is Chinese best-known filmmaker. You can say that he

is a bit of celebrity now.

I don't know that much about his personality. I know he is a perfectionist

and he expects things to be perfect when he directs. He loves natural

things in life and he expects actors and actress to "be that way as well. He

is quite rebellious but, I think he's realistic, and willing to make

compromises as well.

I guess I look at Zhang Yimou as being the kind of person that a lot of

Chinese aspire to be. He's sort of cool, courageous, and blunt. He also

makes the simple beautiful, which in my mind is a kind of magic.

Describe a person who knows a lot about something. You should say:

Who the person is and how you know him/her

What the person knows a lot about How he/she learned about this skill or area of knowledge And explain how this person affects you.

The person I will talk about is my former Chinese Literature professor in

University. He has his PhD in Chinese Classical Literature, and also has a

Masters of Asian Studies from the University of Cambridge.

This person is just a walking library who has so much stored knowledge of

Chinese literature that you wonder how one brain could hold that much

knowledge. He has written 13 books on various writers including Lao She,

Lu Xun and others. He did his thesis comparing English literary stories

and Chinese classics. He has appeared on TV programs and even was the

guest of a TV show in England while he was visiting there. His English is

spectacular, and he could probably teach just that if he wanted to.

Amazingly, my Professor actually said he was not that good of a student

until he got to University. In fact, the University that he initially studied in

was not that high ranking, but he scored well and then did his Masters

elsewhere. It was while he was doing his Masters at Cambridge that a lot

of other scholars started to take notice of him. His interest was peaked

after he met up with the famous Harvard professor Pairbanks while he was

in England. They collaborated on a couple of projects together and

published a number of journal articles. He returned to China and then went

on to get his PhD at Beijing University.

How did this person affect me? He opened up my mind completely to the

world of knowledge. You see, before I took his class I looked at literature

as this kind of high-level intellectual science. I believed that you had to

understand the techniques of deciphering it. But what he taught me was

that most of the authors had a true desire to ensure that anyone could read

their works and so the biggest trick is to pretend that you are working with

the author. You should imagine yourself as a co-author and read for the

experience and the incredible insights into human nature.

Describe a friend, relative or famous person who you think is similar to you.

You should say: Who the person is

What he/she does

Something about the person's character And explain how he/she is similar to you.

I have a friend who is quite similar to me, and I suppose that is why we are

such good friends. She is my mother's friend actually, but I call her my

friend too, although I don't dare address her in the same way as a friend. I

call her Auntie Li Wie. She is an old friend of the family, and used to

work for my mother's store before she got married to a fairly well off

jeweller. She doesn't work, but she is quite active. In fact, she is head of a

nature club in Chengdu, and is a volunteer worker at the Giant Panda

Breeding Research station, where she helps maintain the site.

Aunt Li is a person who's quite shy, and she loves nature. She will do

anything to get close to nature, and will even stay out in the woods for a

few days camping. Some people think she's crazy because she's over 50

years old but she will still do that. She believes in preserving the natural

state of things, and will even carry back litter that she finds on the ground

that others have dropped or thrown carelessly. Aunt Li is also a vegetarian

and will have nothing to do with meat. She doesn't condemn others for

eating meat, but she does hope that one day the world will be full of

vegetarians like her.

I think she's similar to me in her beliefs about the environment, and we

share the same attitude about nature. I also like going outdoors, and I

would never throw litter on the ground. I sometimes also do a bit of

volunteer work at the Panda Centre, and I love the efforts that they do

there. I am not a vegetarian, probably because I'm not strong enough to be

one, but I do mainly eat only chicken and fish. I hardly ever eat any pork

or beef. I think our dreams are similar-that one day the environment can be

restored to a state where all humans and animals can live in comfort and

happiness.

Place Cards

[11]

Describe your past place of work, school or university.

You should say: Where it is or was

When you study or studied there

What you remember about it (briefly) And explain why you remember it more than other companies or schools.

Ok, I'd like to describe my former middle school, which is located in

Fuzhou. It's been so long I'm not sure if I can really describe it well. Wen,

I studied just what everyone studied, and I guess' you could say that I was

a normal student-nothing fantastic.

What I remember is the big gate outside of it, which was regularly opened

and closed. We would wait there patiently to get in. The building was

fairly big, and the entrance was typically wide with some important

pictures of historical figures. It was typically box-like. What I remember

most is the playground. It was fairly large with two baskets, and at the side

there was a corridor where kids would play ping-pong.

I also remember the dreaded teacher's staff room, which was a place no

student wanted to be in. It was lined with small desks and tall stacks of

paper.

I remember this more than other places because it was the place where I

was most affected, since I really started to grow up here. It was like a

second home, and I went through so many different emotions there. I grew

up, and it contained some of my best and worst memories. When I was

going to this school I could never imagine life beyond middle school. Now

that I'm going to university it seems like such a long time ago. I do miss it

a lot, but I wouldn't want to return to that life since it was so structured

and controlled. I prefer my life now as a university student.

Describe your apartment or house.

You should say:

Where it is

How long you have lived there What rooms and furniture it has And explain how you feel about your home.

Ok, I've been asked to describe my apartment, but I think the apartment I

live in is quite typical. It is located in the south of Hefei and it's in a very

clean and convenient neighbourhood. I've lived there for about three years.

We used to live in a brick house, but my father's business began to do very

well so we could afford a better place.

The rooms? Well, as for the rooms... there are 3 rooms. One is for my

father and mother and another is for me. The other room is given to our

maid. The apartment is about a hundred square meters, and it has a large

living room and two bathrooms-one is in my parents' room. We have some

comfortable chairs and a fairly large TV in the centre. We also have a

stereo set and a karaoke set as well. I should mention that the kitchen is

quite large compared to many other families because we extended it by

knocking out the wall of another room.

Now you know about the rooms. Let me tell you how I feel about the

place. To tell you the truth, I don't like it very much. I mean, even though

it's much larger and cleaner than the previous place, sometimes I just don't

feel it's my real home. I think I got too attached to my previotE home.

Also, in the brick home we knew all our neighbours but here we know

nobody. I think it's just as important to have friendly neighbours.

Describe a beautiful building, structure, statue or temple in your hometown. You should say:

Whereabouts it is in your hometown

How often you visit it What makes it so beautiful And explain why you choose this as the most beautiful.

Alright, well I've been asked to talk about something beautiful and I'd like

to choose the White Cloud Temple. It is located in Beijing and it's on the

west side of town. It's not that far away from a subway station, but you

would need to take a bus, because it's a bit far to walk. I go there probably

two or more times a year. It's a Taoist temple, probably the most active

Taoist temple in Beijing. I'm a Taoist. But I go there more than just to pray.

I really try to take a trip to find some time to rediscover myself. During the

Spring Festival people jam into it because they hold what I think is the

best carnival during Spring Festival. We call them Miao Huis. At that time

the temple is very crowded, but most other times it's quite peaceful, and

it's a good place to get away from all the people.

I think the reason it's so beautiful is because it is simple and it seems to

blend in well with its environment. The small praying hall is very serene.

It has a nice pool and a bridge. The Taoist motifs are quite simple but I

think they are very charming. I love to go there during the winter after a

big snowfall because it's at this time that it seems to be most mysterious.

I choose this as the most beautiful because, to me, beauty is simplicity and

natural design, and it also means it fits the environment it is in. I don't

really like grand, elaborate temples. I prefer temples that seem powerful

not because of their structures but because they are perfect for their simple

beauty.

Describe an interesting city, place or park to visit. You should say:

Where it is

What you can do there Its general features And explain why you would recommend someone to see it.

Ok, I'd like to tell you about the temple of the Six Banyan Trees. It's

located in the city center of Guangzhou and its not far away from

Zhongshan 6 Road, near the People's Hospital. It's a good place to go to

and climb to see the Flower Pagoda, which has eight sides to it. You can

also go there to pray if you are a Buddhist. It is an active temple and is

also the head of the Guangzhou Buddhist Association. You can also do a

bit of shopping there if you like. Besides the souvenirs you can buy there,

it also has a very lively fruit and meat market nearby, so if you just want to

shop instead you can.

The main feature of this place is the pagoda because it's the tallest in the

city. From the outside it looks like it has only nine stories, but actually it

has 17 inside. It's quite old, and was built some time in the 10th century.

The temple itself is even older than that-I think it goes back to some time

during the Tang Dynasty, around 500 AD or something like that. It's called

the six Banyan Trees because there used to be six trees there, and Su

Dongpu, one of china's best-known poets in the Song Dynasty, celebrated

them in a poem. You can also see one of the most beautiful golden statutes

of Guanyin, who's a Buddhist Goddess of Compassion

I would recommend this place because it represents real history in

Guangzhou. A lot of people complain that Guangzhou is too concerned

about money and business, and lacks culture, but I think there are several

places that still remind people of its rich culture, and this is one of them.

Describe a museum, library or exhibit in your hometown.

You should say:

Which you want to describe and where exactly it is in your hometown How often you go to it

The general features of the place and what you can do there .

And explain what you gain personally from this place.

Ok, I'll start by telling you about the Museum of the Japanese Germ

Warfare Experimental Base. It's outside of Harbin, and it's a bit tough to

get there. The base was the centre of the worst experiments in biological

warfare. The Japanese set up a top secret, germ warfare research centre.

The doctors there were very cruel and used many victims. I have been to

this museum about four times, and each time I go it gives me a very eerie

feeling.

It is a small museum and it takes you through two exhibit rooms. The

displays are very graphic. There are lights and wax models of the people

in the exhibits. There is also a vestige of the original base nearby. They

recreate the type of things done to the victims. You can also watch a film

about it in another room. The film is not exactly a happy one, so be

prepared for some rather ghastly details.

I think what I gain there is a sense of how low humanity can sink if we're

not careful. The museum tells us what our relatives often had to put up

with and what sacrifices have been made. You know, even though such

terrible things were done to us we still put up a sign in the entrance that

says the friendship between Japanese and Chinese is everlasting. This

shows that even though we will never forget such atrocities, we are willing

to be friends and move on.

Describe a place in your country that you think would be interesting to visit. You should say: Whereabouts it is

When would be a good time to visit!

What is interesting to do there And explain why you choose it over other places.

Ok, thank you. I want to choose a place you may be familiar with, and

that's the Three Gorges, located between Wanxian and a city called

Yichang, the gateway to the upper Yangtze River. You can get to them by

going to Chongqing and taking the boat along the Yangtze River all the

way to Wuhan if you like.

The best time to go there is during the fall, because it's not so hot on the

boat, and that way if you want to spend more time in Chongqing or in

Wuhan you can, because those cities can be quite unbearable during the

summers. The Three Gorges are breathtaking-there isn't much out there

that can beat the feeling of being walled in by such beauty. The thing that's

so interesting about the Three Gorges is the sheer walls and sharp rocks

along the side, and the historic tablets along the way. But even without

looking up at these imp1;'essive rock formations, the river itself, with all

its various rapids, is interesting. You know, it isn't easy for small boats to

travel either down or up it.

I guess I've chosen this place because it won't be around for very much

longer, and because it will soon all be flooded over. I think you know

about the new dam being built. The dramatic scenery and rushing waters

of China's greatest river has been the inspiration of China's painters and

poets. It's now considered to be one of the great scenic attractions of

China.