Free talk (random questions)
- 1. FREE TALK (RANDOM QUESTIONS) •If you were offered a job in another part of the country, would you be willing to take the job, assuming that the pay is very good? •If your partner were offered a job in another part of the country, which was well paid, would you be willing to change places? •If you were in the bank and somebody started to hold up the bank, what would you do? How would you react? •If you had one wish, what would you wish for? •If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, which song would you choose? •If only one book existed, which book would you like it to be? •If you could do any job, what would you like to do? •If you could move anywhere, where would you like to live? •If you found a suitcase full of $1,000,000, what would you do?b •If you found a wallet with £1,000 in it, what would you do? •If you had 25-hour days (while everyone else continued to have 24-hour days), what would you do with the extra time? •If you had the opportunity to be different, what would you change? •If you had time machine, where would you go and why? •If you had to choose between a wonderful romantic relationship that would end after only a year, or a so-so relationship that would last your entire life, which one would you choose? •If you had to choose between love and no money or money and no love for the rest of your life, which would you choose? •If you had to choose, would you give up your sight or your hearing? •If you received lottery tickets as a gift at the office party, and you won $30,000.00, would you share the winnings with the person that gave you the gift? •If you saw a robbery, would you report it? •If you saw your zipper was down and people had noticed, what would you do? •If you speak two languages and your spouse (husband or wife) speaks only one, will you raise your children to be bilingual? •If you were candy, what candy would you be? •If you were a monster, what monster would you be? •If you were a toy, what toy would you be? •If you were abducted by aliens, would you tell anybody? Why or why not? •If you were American/Chinese/Mexican, how would your life be different?
- 2. •If you were asked to choose which time period you would like to live in, which century would you choose? •If you were asked to speak to a graduating class, what would you say? •If you were given a chance to go to the moon, would you go? Why or why not? •If you were given a choice between being given great wisdom or great wealth, which would you choose? •If you were given an opportunity to be born again, in which country would you like to be born? •If you were given an opportunity to be born again, what kind of person would you choose to be? •If you were given one million dollars, what would you buy? •If you were given the opportunity to be born again, how would you change how you lived? •If you were given the opportunity to mold your partner the way you wanted, how would you mold your partner? •If you were given three wishes, what would you wish for? •Are you a happy person? •What is happiness for you? •What do you think is the color for happiness? •Do you think that happiness lies within you? Or does it depend upon other people and external things? •Can money buy happiness? •Is happiness a state of mind? •What makes you feel happy? •What are the three most important things for you to be happy? •Is happiness relative, that is, does it have a different meaning for each person? •Are single people happy? •Would you be happier with a soul mate or single? •Does having an animal/pet make you happy? •What is the effect that animals/pets have on people to make them feel happy? •What makes you happy? •When was the happiest time of your childhood? •Can you be happy if you are rich?
- 3. •Can you be happy is you are poor? •How can you become happy again when you are sad? •Is happiness a goal? •How often do you feel really happy? •Are the people in your country generally very happy? •Are you very happy most of the time? •What makes you unhappy? •What's the most miserable you've been? •How happy are you compared with your friends? •Do you wake up happy every morning? •Do you agree that older people are less happy? •What is there to be happy about in the world today? •What affects your levels of happiness? •Does your happiness change during different times of the day, week, month or year? •What is or was the happiest time of your life? •Do you need money to be happy? •What do you think of the idea of a government Happiness Minister who is responsible for the happiness of the population? •Do you think some nations are happier than others? •What is missing in your life that would make you very happy? •Why are teenagers some of the happiest people in the world? •What was the happiest time in your entire life? •Do you feel that you have to work hard and be miserable now in order to be happy later? •What is good behavior? What is bad behavior? •Were you well-behaved as a child? •Why do some children seem naturally well-mannered, while others seem difficult? •Were you a well-behaved child? •How do you raise well-behaved children? •What influences you to make good choices? •Have you ever not tolerated someone's behavior? •Is there any behavior that you would not find acceptable?
- 4. •What are some examples of bad behavior? •What is he worst behavior you have seen? •Would you teach your child to "hit back" at school if somebody hit him? •How can we teach our children good behavior? Are words or example more important? •Are you influenced by what you see on TV? Or by what you read? •Do friends influence you? •Can you influence your friends? •Is it important to surround yourself with good people? •How can friends have a bad influence on you? •Can music influence your behavior? •Is it important to only watch wholesome TV shows and only read good books? •How has the media affected society? Has TV made society better or worse? •How does religion influence people's behavior? •Do you care what other people think of you? •Do you care about the private behavior of a politician? •Can you judge a politician by how he behaves toward his family? •Do you give up your private life when you become a politician? •Should people behave differently with friends than with family? Do you treat people who are close to you better than strangers, or vice versa? •Does the behavior of well-known people, such as celebrities and politicians, affect how average people behave? •Does economic status affect people's behavior? For example, are people more generous if they have more money? •Who do you admire? Do you try to be like this person (or people)? •Are there historical figures you admire? •Who is affected by your behavior? •In what ways have the choices of others affected you? •Does your happiness depend on the behavior of others? •Should you always be on your best behavior? •Will we be judged for our behavior? Do you believe in a God who punishes bad people and rewards good people? Does it always pay to be good?
- 5. •What do you think is life all about? •What do you feel most people's lives are driven by? •What image or metaphor has best described your life? A race, a circus or something else? •What if life on earth is really preparation for eternity, how would people act differently? •What is your opinion on why a lot of people have trouble believing in God? •What is "worship" to you? •Can we make friends with God? •Have you ever prayed to God? •What do you think about religious people worshiping God in churches or in temples? •Which is easier for people, public or private worship? •Do you think it's appropriate to express anger to God? •What do you think people usually fear when thinking of joining a new religion? •What image or metaphor has best described your life? (E.g. A race, a circus...) •Do you think we can make friends with God? •What do you think about people going to churches or in temples regularly? •Which is easier for people, going to a religious event or praying to God privately? •What is good behavior? What is bad behavior? •Were you well-behaved as a child? •Why do some children seem naturally well-mannered, while others seem difficult? •Were you a well-behaved child? •How do you raise well-behaved children? •What influences you to make good choices? •Have you ever not tolerated someone's behavior? •Is there any behavior that you would not find acceptable? •What are some examples of bad behavior? •What is he worst behavior you have seen? •Would you teach your child to "hit back" at school if somebody hit him? •How can we teach our children good behavior? Are words or example more important? •Are you influenced by what you see on TV? Or by what you read? •Do friends influence you?
- 6. •Can you influence your friends? •Is it important to surround yourself with good people? •How can friends have a bad influence on you? •Can music influence your behavior? •Is it important to only watch wholesome TV shows and only read good books? •How has the media affected society? Has TV made society better or worse? •How does religion influence people's behavior? •Do you care what other people think of you? •Do you care about the private behavior of a politician? •Can you judge a politician by how he behaves toward his family? •Do you give up your private life when you become a politician? •Should people behave differently with friends than with family? Do you treat people who are close to you better than strangers, or vice versa? •Does the behavior of well-known people, such as celebrities and politicians, affect how average people behave? •Does economic status affect people's behavior? For example, are people more generous if they have more money? •Who do you admire? Do you try to be like this person (or people)? •Are there historical figures you admire? •Who is affected by your behavior? •In what ways have the choices of others affected you? •Does your happiness depend on the behavior of others? •Should you always be on your best behavior? •Will we be judged for our behavior? Do you believe in a God who punishes bad people and rewards good people? •Does it always pay to be good? •How do you act when you are happy? Do you like being around happy people? •Are friends more important than family? What do you think? •Are chores assigned to children in your family? •Are you married? •Are you pressured by your family to act in a certain way? •Are you the oldest among your brothers and sisters?
- 7. •Are your parents strict? •Did you ever meet any of your great grandparents? •Do you get along well with your family? •Do you get along well with your brothers and sisters? •Do you get along well with your in-laws? •Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, how old are they? •Do you have any children? If yes, what are their names and ages? •Do you have to clean your own room? •Does your mother make you clean your room? •Do you like your family? Why or why not? •Do you live with any of your grandparents? •Do you live with your parents? •Do you look more like your mother or your father? •Do you often argue with your mother or father? What about? •Do you often visit your grandparents? •Do you think people should adopt children from other countries? •Do you usually have any influence on family matters? •Do your parents let you stay out late? •What time do you have to be home? •Do you have a curfew? •How did you get your name? •For whom are you named? •Who are you named after? •How big is your family? •How many (first) cousins do you have? •How many aunts and uncles do you have? •How many brothers and sisters do you have? •How many children do you have? •How many members do you have in your family altogether? •How many people are in your (immediate) family? •How many people are in your family? •How often do you see your cousins?
- 8. •How often do you see your grandparents? •How often is your entire family together? •How old are your brothers and sisters? •How old are your children? •How old are your grandparents? •How old are your parents? •Is spanking a good way to discipline children? •Should people follow the religion of their parents, or should they have the liberty to choose another? •What are some of your fondest memories of childhood? •What are your parents like? •What do you and your family like to do together? •What do you think of married couples who decide not to have any child? •What do your mother and father look like? How about your grandparents? •What do your parents do in their free time? •What are the occupations of your family members? •What does your father do? What's his job? •What does your mother do? •What is the best memory you have of your family doing something together? •What kind of things do you do with your family? •What will you teach your children? (what values, beliefs, hobbies, skills, etc.) •What would you change about your childhood? •Where do your grandparents live? •Where does your father's father live? •Where does your mother's mother live? •Who do you get along better with, your mother or your father? •Who is the black sheep (odd ball) in your family? •Would you get involved in your in-laws' family problems? •Would you live with your parents after you get married? •Should children help with the housework? •How much or how often should they help? •What kinds of housework is not appropriate for children to do?
- 9. •Do you live in a nuclear family or an extended family? •What are the advantages and disadvantages of these types of family? •What impact has divorce and/or modern day living had on the family? •Is the nanny and/or the day-care center the third parent? •Do you think you have a healthy life style? •Is it possible to have a healthy life style in modern world? •Why do many people try to have a healthy life style? •What is the main purpose of it? •What is healthy food? •Do you pay much attention to what you eat? •Do you think it is more important for you to eat healthy or tasty food? •Do you try to eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner at a certain time every day? •Do you have a snack every time you are hungry or do you wait for the lunch or dinner? •What is better for health? •Do you agree with the saying: "Eat your breakfast, share your lunch with a friend and give your dinner to your •enemy"? Why do people say so? •What is healthy about not eating after 6 p.m? •Do you try to follow this rule? •Are you a success? •Is obesity a great problem in where you live? •Why are there so many obese people in the US? •What are the most efficient ways to loose weight? •Do you think diets are useful or not? •Have you ever tried to go on a diet? •What kind of diet was it? •Did it work? •Is physical activity (jogging, going to a gym, swimming pool) an important part of a healthy life style? •Can you tell a physically inactive person from someone who takes care of hisher physical condition?
- 10. •What are the main differences? •What is your attitude to smoking? •What is the influence of smoking on health? •What about passive smoking? •Is it hard to give up smoking? •Do you know someone who gave up smoking? •What is the best way to give up smoking? •What is a healthy dose of alcohol? •How mush beer, wine or vodka you can drink daily without any damage to your health? •What is the damage of alcohol abuse to health? •How many hours of sleep do you need daily? •If you don't sleep enough, how do you feel and look? •Do you try to go to bed and get up at certain hours every day? •What is good about it? •Do you often find yourself under stress? •What are the areas of your life where stress situations take place more often? •Work? •Family? •Relationships with friends? •While commuting to work? •How do you usually cope with stress? •Is there any connection between the person's style of life and the duration of his life? •What do you prefer, to eat everything you like, drink a lot, smoke, have no physical exercise and die at the age of 60 or lead a healthy life and live until 100? •What annoys you about living where you live now? •What annoys you about taking trains to work? •What annoys you about driving a car? •What annoys you most about living at home with your family? •Do you think you have habits that annoy other people? •Does it annoy you when people kiss in public?
- 11. •Do you get annoyed when someone cuts in front of you when you are waiting in line? •What are some new pet peeves you have as a result of recent technology (i.e. cell phone use)? •What annoying habits does your best friend have? •Does smoking bother you? •Do you get annoyed when other people display bad manners? Give some examples. •What is the most annoying thing for you? •What is the most annoying thing about your partner? •Do you annoy people with some of your habits? •What is something that your parents do that annoy you? •Can annoying someone be a good thing? •If something is annoying you, what do you usually do? •What are some things that annoy you that don't annoy your best friend? •How do you change annoying habits •What are some things that car drivers do that annoy you? •Can you think of some things children do that annoy adults around them? •What does pet peeve mean? •What is your pet peeve? •Does it annoy you when people don't use the right punctuation? •What kind of people annoy you? •Who is the most annoying person you know? Why? •How do you inform someone they are being annoying •Do you think other people find you annoying? Why? •Who is the most annoying celebrity? Why? •What’s the biggest accident you’ve ever had? •Are you accident prone? •Have you ever been in a car accident? •Have you ever seen a very bad accident? •Have you ever caused an accident? •Do you know what to do or how to treat people in an accident?
- 12. •Do you know anyone who is “an accident waiting for somewhere to happen”? •Have you ever had any accident prevention training? •How often are there major rail accidents in your country? •Do you worry about having accidents? •Have you ever had any work-related accidents? •Have you ever received compensation for an accident? •Have you ever visited the accidents and emergencies department of a hospital? •What do you think of the expression “he / she was an accident”, meaning his / her parents didn’t plan on having him / her? •Have you ever made an insurance claim for an accident? •Do you think there’ll be another major nuclear accident? •What do you remember about the Space Shuttle accidents? •Have you ever run into an old friend by accident? •What do you think “accidentally on purpose” means? •hat was the last tragic accident you read about? •Do you wish you lived in another country? Why? •Do you wish you didn't have any brothers? Why? •Do you wish you were taller? Why? •Do you wish you were thinner? Why? •Do you wish you studied in a different university? Why? •Do you wish you worked in a different company? Why? •Do you wish you you went to a different school? Why? •Do you wish you you were younger? Why? •Do you wish you you were older? Why? •Do you wish you were the opposite sex? Why? •Do you wish you you could cook better? Why? •Do you wish you you were thinner? Why? •Do you wish you you were more fashionable? Why? •Do you wish you your brother would come to visit? Why? •Do you wish you you could go back to your native country? Why?