Part 2
1. Describe a subject you used to dislike but now have interest in
You should say:
What the subject is
Why you disliked it
What you are interested in now
And explain why you become interested in it
Sample answer:
Talking about a subject I used to dislike but now have interest in, history pops into my mind immediately.
At present, I am an undergraduate student of a prestigious university in Beijing and doing very well with my academic studies. But back in high school, history was the most irritating subject for me. The first reason that I didn’t like it was the history teacher. He was an old and strict person. Another thing was that History was tougher than any other subjects cos you had to learn it by rote. The most terrible thing was memorizing useless facts about the historical events such as dates, names and places in order to write the exam paper. Actually, none of us were attentive at this course and consequently had to cram for and struggle during the examinations. As a result, I didn’t get high marks in history.
However, I am fascinated by everything about Tang dynasty now. The reason is that I’m obsessed with a very famous TV drama called The Longest Day in Chang'an right now. This TV series are set in Chang’an which was the cosmopolitan of the Tang Empire. The plot is about an attack planned by the remnants of a vanquished central Asian kingdom after infiltrating the world’s largest city during the Lantern Festival while the court is fraught with infighting. After watching it, I begin to care more about history and even find some resources to learn it on my own. Through reading these books, I get more information about the development of tax system, some philosophical thoughts in the mid-Tang and the influence of the classical prose writing. I think it’s very meaningful for us to acquire some knowledge about the past.
Tang was the most brilliant dynasty in Chinese history for its prosperous economy, vigorous culture, powerful strength and high international status. Tang accomplished splendid achievements in the areas of politics, economy, military affairs, culture, and foreign relations. In its early years, it enjoyed harmonious unification, powerful national strength, and vast territories. People enjoyed their contented and comfortable life. I can also learn lessons from the mistakes made by our ancestors. So I would like to read books about Chinese ancient history in my spare time, especially Tang Dynasty.
2. Describe a person you wanted to be similar with
You should say:
When you first met the person
Who this person was
What the person did
And why you would like to become this person
Sample answer:
I’d like to talk about my all-time favourite Jackie Chan who is an action movie star and produced some of the best action movies such as “Who am I” in Hollywood over the past two decades.
I have been a huge fan of him for about 20 years and I first saw him in a movie called “Police Story”. Basically, he began his career by acting small roles at a very young age and displayed unprecedented talent for role playing. Therefore, he attracted some successful film producers from Hollywood later in his career, and made his fortune out of it.
Despite being a Chinese actor, he not only has fans in China, but also has fans in the US as well as the rest of the world. He worked so hard to earn his position in the movie industry and sometimes even risked his life shooting films in dangerous places without protections. Moreover, He’s won various awards throughout his career and gained the respect of lots of people worldwide.
You know as a child back in the days, I got obsessed with all those action movies and pretty enjoyed heroic actions of the main characters and Jackie Chan was my favourite one. Therefore, he was kind of my idol and I really wanted to become someone as fancy as him, given that I was also into Chinese Kong Fu. In addition, I was also impressed by his conscientiousness and bravery since he was injured countless times when shooting some extremely dangerous scenes, and I believe that’s why his movies look much more realistic and hence, have a higher popularity across the world.
3. Describe a school you went to in your childhood.
You should say:
Where it was
What it was like
What you learned there
And how you felt about it
Sample answer:
When it comes to the topic about schools I attended in my childhood, the first primary school I went to in my life comes to my mind immediately.
The primary school I’m about to describe used to be located in the west of the countryside where my late grandparents lived. It is a textbook example of village school, with almost all of the pupils coming from the village. In my memory, the primary school was medium-sized and surrounded by walls. A variety of Chinese characters like hard working and motifs with symbolic meaning were painted on the outer side of each wall in bright red color. The school gate was set in the front facing to the north, with the name of the school written on the wall next to the gate. Opposite to the gate, there was a two-storey main building. Rooms on the first floor acted as classrooms, with the teachers’ office at the end. Rooms on the second floor were left for extra-curriculum activities, such as handicraft facture or that sort of activities. To the west of the school building, toilets were sited and connected to the main building by a vestibule. The space between the main building and the gate was the playground for pupils to take P.E class or do the physical exercise. The area for raising national flag lied in the east of the school. It is worthy to mention that trees with large canopy were planted around the playground, allowing students to shelter from the heat in hot summer.
I used to spend three years there for learning primary courses from the first to the third grade until moving to the city with my parents. I learned the basic knowledge about Chinese and mathematics there during the first three years in primary school. For example, I acquired the skill of reading and writing as well as the knowledge of basic arithmetic. By contrast to primary schools in most cities in China, the total number of students in that primary school was much smaller. Therefore, the population of students in each class was just around twenty and they had been close friends since their childhood. Although many years passed, I still keep in touch with my playmates regularly. To me, that primary school is more like a large family full of love and care.
4. Describe a time a child made you laugh
You should say:
When it was
Where you were
Who the child was
What the child did
And explain why you laughed
Sample answer:
Speaking of a child that made me laugh, the first person that comes to my mind is Dongdong who is the son of a Chinese renowned star.
Dongdong is a warm hearted and lively boy. Even though he is only 5 years old, he has joined many outdoor reality shows since he was 3. His humor, kindness attracts plenty of audiences, and of course, I'm one of them.
There was one time he joined a reality show in Hunan TV, and this program was about talking to foreigners on the street just for chatting or fun. I really expected this part because I know Dongdong can't speak English and I was wondering how he could talk to that foreigner. Here comes the funniest moment, Dongdong used body language and special Chinglish to show what he wanted to ask. For example, he asked that foreigner “how big are you?” The foreigner was confused because he didn't know exactly what big means. That was the part I laughed out loud, because I know Dongdong wanted to ask him “how old is he.” In Chinese, big means age. In the end, Dongdong said I'm 5, and you? The foreigner finally understood his question and replied right away. Although it seemed a little awkward, I think he is so funny and adorable.
And the other day, this funny event was on the top search in Weibo. I’ve watched that highlight for another 20 times or so. No kidding, I laughed every time I watched. And I believe when he grows up, he will laugh too. I really appreciate that child who gives me happiness.
5. Describe an occasion when you got incorrect information
You should say:
Why you got it
When you got it
How you got it
How you found it was incorrect
And how you felt about it
Sample answer:
I still remembered that last summer vacation, I traveled in a coastal city on my own, it was after dark and I planned to enjoy seafood to meet my appetite. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my bearings. Since my navigational device was out of service, you known, there were a lot of hills all around here and my calls got cut off several times, so I had no choices other than asking people for help to get right direction. Hence, I walked along the street and encountered a person who looked caring to tackle my pressing problem. He pointed me out a direction and I decided to get my destination. After about 30-minutes’ walk, I felt uneasy and anxious, coz it was totally different from the place where I looked around on website. It was after dark, traffic was light and no one else was around. At that time, I found my phone worked, I was hurried to call the police and he would give me instant help after a while.
I felt not good coz it’s time-consuming and energy-burning, I spent a lot of time finding my direction which meant that I rarely had time to get rid of stress. I couldn’t enjoy the breeze, drink coconut with a straw or just lie on the beach to do sunbathing and appreciate the beauty of mother nature. Plus, I didn’t set aside extra time to purchase loads of local specialty as souvenirs for my immediate family, which left me bad and lasting impression.
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