TASK 2

1. Family
2. Education
3. Work and career
4. Shopping
5. Travel/tourism
6. Media
7. Television
8. Technology
9. Sport
10. Entertainment
11. Health
12. Energy and environment
13. Government
14. Crime
15. Transport
16. Construction
17. Gender
18. Language
19. Social issues
 FAMILY
1. More and more couples are deciding to be "child-free", to have no children, in other words.
Some people claim that those couples reach this conclusion through entirely selfish reasons.
While others think that they came to this decision through noble motives, such as concern
about overpopulation and desire for independence. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
2. Nowadays in many countries more and more people are spending their time away from their
families. Why is this? What are the effects on themselves and on their families?
3. In many countries today, people in cities either live alone or in small family units, rather than
in large family groups. Is this a positive or negative trend?
4. In many places, people are changing their lifestyle very rapidly, thus affecting family
relationships. Do the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of this trend?
5. In recent years, the structure of a family and the role of its members are gradually changing.
What kinds of changes can occur? Do you think these changes are positive and negative?

EDUCATION
1. Some people think that a person improves intellectual skills better when doing group
activities. To what extent do you agree?
2. University education should be free to everyone, regardless of income. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
3. In the past lectures were the traditional method of teaching large numbers of students.
Nowadays new technology is increasingly being used to teach students. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of this new approach?
4. Some people believe that exams are an inappropriate way of measuring students’
performance and should be replaced by continuous assessment. Do you agree or disagree
with this view?
5. Some people argue that universities should provide students with more practical training for
their future career. Should university education be more vocational or academic. Discuss.

WORK and CAREER

1. People nowadays put more emphasis on social skills. Some people believe that social skills
are more important in addition to good qualifications for job success. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
2. People tend to work longer hours nowadays. Working long hours has a negative effect on
themselves their families and the society so working hours should be restricted. Do you agree
or disagree?
3. More and more companies are allowing employees to work from home. Do you think this is a
positive or negative development?
4. Some businesses find that their new employees lack basic interpersonal skills such as
cooperative skills. What are the causes and suggest possible solutions?
5. Some people argue that job satisfaction is more important than job security, while others
believe that they cannot always expect job satisfaction, and a permanent job is more
important. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

SHOPPING
1. Online shopping is becoming more common these days. What effect could this have on the
environment and the types of jobs required?
2. Many young people spend much of their free time in shopping malls. Some people fear that
this could have a negative effect on both young people and people around them. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Buying things on the internet, such as books, air tickets and groceries, is becoming more and
more popular. Do the advantages of shopping in this way outweigh the disadvantages?
4. Nowadays online shopping has become more popular than in-store shopping. Is it a positive
or negative development?
5. Some people say that modern technology has made shopping today easier, while others
disagree. Discuss both views and give your own opinion

TRAVEL/TOURISM
1. Many developing countries are currently expanding their tourist industries. Why is this the
case? Is it a positive or negative development?
2. Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists but not local people. Why is
this the case and what can be done to attract more local people to visit these places?
3. Some people think that cultural traditions may be destroyed when they are used as money-
making attractions aimed at tourists. Others believe it is the only way to save these traditions.
Discuss on both sides and give your opinion.
4. International travel has many advantages to both travelers and the country visited. Do you
think advantages outweigh disadvantages?
5. Foreign visitors should pay more than local visitors for cultural and historical attractions. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

MEDIA
1. Nowadays, there is a trend that reports in the media focus on problems and emergencies
rather than positive development. Some people think it is harmful to individuals and to
society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Some people think that newspapers are the best way to learn news. However, others believe
that they can learn news better through other media. Discuss both views and give your
opinion?
3. The use of social media is replacing face-to-face interaction among many people in society.
Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
4. Some of the methods used in advertising are unethical and unacceptable in today’s society.
To what extent do you agree with this view?
5. The mass media, including television, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping
people’s ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

TELEVISION
1. Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent
would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural development
of your society?
2. Many people believe that television programs are of no value for children. Do you agree?
Why or why not?
3. Watching a live performance such as a play, concert, or sporting event is more enjoyable
than watching the same event on television. To what extent do you agree or disagree with
this statement?
4. Some people think that all entertainment TV programmes should educate people about the
importance of social issues. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyed
communication among friends and family.

TECHNOLOGY
1. Some people say that outdoor activities benefit children’s development rather than
computer games. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
2. Some believe technology has made our lives too complex and the solution is to lead a
simpler life without technology. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of
technology. In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships that people
make? Has this been a positive or negative development?
4. New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time. Do you think the
advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
5. Maintaining public libraries is a waste of money since computer technology can replace their
functions. Do you agree or disagree?
SPORTS
1. In order to be successful in sport, some people think you have to be physically strong. Others
say that mental strength is more important. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
2. Some companies sponsor sport as a way to advertise themselves. Some people think it is
good for the world of sports, while others think there are disadvantages. Discuss both views
and give your opinion.
3. Extreme sports such as sky diving and skiing are very dangerous and should be banned. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?
4. Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other
important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
5. Some people think that it is more beneficial to take part in sports which are played in teams,
like football, while other people think that taking part in individual sports, like tennis or
swimming, is better. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

ENTERTAINMENT

1. The availability of entertainment such as video games on handheld devices are harmful to
individuals and to the society they live in. To what extent do you agree and disagree?
2. Many people believe that music is just a form of entertainment, whilst others believe that
music has a much larger impact on society today. Discuss both views and give your own
opinion.
3. Some people believe that the only purpose of films is to entertain. Others say films should
have educational value. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. Some people think that all entertainment TV programmes should educate people about the
importance of social issues. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
5. Some people opine that entertainment or leisure activities should be subsidized by the
government. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

HEALTH
1. People are having more and more sugar-based drinks. What are the reasons? What are the
solutions to make people drink less?
2. Many think that in today’s world it is very difficult for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Others, however, feel that it is easy for people to be healthy and fit if they want to be.
3. Discuss both views and give your opinion. In many countries, children are becoming
overweight and unhealthy. Some people think that this is the responsibility of governments
to solve the problem. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
4. Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of
sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and
that other measures are required. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
5. People should look after their health for personal benefits, rather than a duty for a society.
What extent do you agree or disagree?

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

1. In many countries, plastic containers have become more popular than ever. They are used in
many businesses such as the food and drink industry. Do you think the advantages of this
outweigh its disadvantages?
2. Explain some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can
governments do to address these problems? What can individual people do?
3. While some people consider global warming to be the most pressing environmental problem
which we have at the moment, others believe that deforestation has more devastating
impacts on our world. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
4. Global warming is one of the biggest threats to our environment. What causes global
warming? What solutions are there to this problem?
5. Fossil fuel is the main source of energy. In some countries, the use of alternative sources of
energy is encouraged. To what extent do you think is it a positive or negative development?

GOVERNMENT
1. Some people say that the government should spend more money taking care of elderly
people while others think that government spending should be spent more on the education
of young people. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
2. Environmental protection is the responsibility of politicians, not individuals as individuals can
do too little. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. It is impossible to help all people in the world, so governments should focus on people in
their own countries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
4. Some believe that because everyone needs a place to live, governments should provide
houses for those who are too poor to afford their own. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
5. Government investment in the arts, such as music and theatre, is a waste of money.
Governments must invest this money in public services instead. To what extent do you agree
with this statement?

CRIME
1. Some people think sending criminals to prison is not an effective way to deal with them.
Education and training are better. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Some people think that the best way to improve road safety is to increase the minimum legal
age for driving a car or motorbike. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. In many countries imprisonment is the most common solution to crimes. However, some
people believe that better education will be a more effective solution. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
4. Some countries are struggling with increases in crime rates. Some believe that having more
police on the streets is best way to reduce and combat crime. To what extent do you agree
or disagree?
5. In many countries the level of crime is increasing, and crimes are becoming more violent.
Why do you think this is and what can be done about it?

TRANSPORT
1. Cyclists and car drivers today share the same road causing some problems. What are the
problems? What can be done to reduce these problems?
2. In cities and towns all over the world, the high volume of traffic is a major problem. What are
the causes of this and what actions can be taken to solve this problem?
3. Every day traffic seems to get worse on our roads. How can we reduce the number of cars on
our roads today? What alternatives can we offer car drivers?
4. In order to solve traffic problems, governments should tax private car owners heavily and
use the money to improve public transportation. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of such a solution?
5. Some people think it is more important to spend money on roads and motorways than on
public transport systems. To what extend do you agree?

CONSTRUCTION
1. When designing a building, the most important factor is the intended use of the building
rather than its outward appearance. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Some cities create housing areas by providing taller buildings. Others create housing by
building houses on a wider area of land. What solution is better?
3. When a new town is planned, it is more important to develop public parks and sports
facilities than shopping centers for people to spend their free time in. To what extent do
agree or disagree?
4. Safety standards are important when building people’s homes. Who should be responsible
for enforcing strict building codes – the government or the people who build the homes?
5. In many cities, there is little control on the design and construction of new houses. Some
people think that people can choose to build houses in their own styles instead of building
them with the same style as the old house style in local areas. Do the advantages outweigh
the disadvantages?

GENDER
1. Today, TV channels provide more men’s sports than women’s sport shows. Why? Should TV
channels give equal time for women’s sport and men’s sport?
2. Some people think that men and women have different qualities. Therefore, some certain
jobs are suitable for men and some jobs are suitable for women. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
3. Some people believe that in present times, women do get as much equality at work as men,
while others believe that even today women have to fight their way to succeed at work.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. Many people think that men should go out to work while women place is in the home. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
5. Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

LANGUAGE
1. In order to learn a language well, we should also learn about the country as well as the
cultures and lifestyles of the people who speak this language. To what extent do you agree
or disagree?
2. A few languages are increasingly spoken in different countries, while the usage of others is
rapidly declining. Is this a positive or a negative development?
3. Some people think governments should spend money on measures to save laguages with
few speakers from dying out completely. Others think this is a waste of financial resources.
Discuss both view and give your opinion.
4. Some children do not have the ability for learning languages. Therefore, schools should not
make children do that. Do you agree or disagree?
5. Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at
primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the
disadvantages?

SOCIAL ISSUES
1. Economic progress is one way to measure a country’s success. Some people believe that
there are other factors should be considered when measuring the success of a country. What
are the other factors? Do you think there is a factor that more important than?
2. In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people. Why
might this be the case? Do you think this is a positive or negative situation?
3. Medical research is essential to improve health and deal with diseases. Who do you think
should fund this research: private companies, individuals or the government?
4. Some people think the money spent on developing technology for space exploration is not
justified. However, there are more beneficial ways to spend this money. To what extent do
you agree or disagree?
5. In some countries, men and women are having children late in life. What are the reasons for
this development? Do the advantages of this outweigh its disadvantages?
6. It is expected that there will be a higher proportion of older people than that of young
people in many countries in the future. Do you think it is a positive or negative
development?
7. Some people claim that public museums and art galleries will not be needed because people
can see historical objects and works of art by using a computer. Do you agree or disagree
with this opinion?
8. In most successful organizations, some people believe that communications between
managers and workers is important, other people said that other factors are more
important. What is your opinion?
9. Many people say the gap between rich and poor people is wider, as rich people become
richer and poor people grow poorer. What problems could this situation cause and what
measures can be done to address those problems?
10. These days it seems that an increasing number of people are leaving rural areas to live in the
city. Discuss some of the effects of rural depopulation (migration from the country to the
city) and suggest some ways in which this trend could be reversed.