SPEAKING - MAT CLARK

PART 1
1. Basic description
- Tell me about your hometown? (Redundant words)
- Well, as you can probably guess, I come from Beijing and I have lived here all my life,
although at the moment I'm studying in another city – Tianjin. I suppose if I had to
describe Beijing, the first thing I would say is that it's absolutely enormous, maybe even
one of the biggest cities in Asia I guess. It's so big in fact that even the locals have
problems finding their way around. Another significant characteristic is that it offers
examples of both classical and contemporary architecture. Actually some of the China's
most renowned landmarks are ―slap-bang in the middle of Beijing.
2. Liking
- Do you like animals?
- Well to be quite honest, in general I would say that I'm actually quite keen on animals,
but in particular I would probably have to say that I'm really into domestic pets like
dogs. I guess the reason why I'm a fan of dogs is because I adore their loyalty and
companionship. In addition to dogs I suppose I'm also pretty passionate about
endangered species, especially dolphins and things like that and this is due to the fact I
feel some degree of responsibility towards wildlife protection.
3. Disliking
- Is there anything you don't like about your hometown?
- Of course, I think I'd have to say that I'm not so keen on the weather. To be
more precise, I really can't stand the summer months. This is due to the fact that the
temperatures can get as high as 40 degrees so it can be quite uncomfortable if you don't
have air conditioning in your house. In addition to this, I'm not really that fond of the
public transport system. And I guess this is probably because the buses are too old and
the seats are really hard, so long journeys are usually pretty bumpy.
4. Types of
- Tell me about the different types of public transport in your country?
- Of course, it goes without saying that there’s quite a mixed variety of public transport in
my city. Though I think the most common-used would potentially be buses. And the
explanation for this could be that they are so cheap and reliable. In fact, the average
bus fare in my city is about one yuan for a single journey. As well as buses, a second
variety of public transport would be something like taxis. And one exceptional aspect
 of (taxis) is that ... they are certainly quickest way to get around town. So if you’re in
hurry then taxis are the best bet (= the best choice). Likewise, as might be expected,
there’s things like ferries, motorcycle taxis and trains although these are not as widely-
used as the first two that I mentioned.
5. Wh/How often
- How often do you go to the cinema?
- Well to be honest, I think I would have to say that it really depends. Like for instance, if
I have the money, then it’s quite possible that I will watch a movie in the cinema, two or
three times a month. You know cinema tickets are pretty pricey in China. Whereas in
contrast, if I’m broke, it’s more likely that I’ll watch movies at home on DVD; you
probably know that DVDs are quite cheap here, especially compared to the price of a
cinema ticket.
6. Yes/No
- Is healthy eating important?
- Well, in actual fact, If I think about it, I guess that in many ways it’s fairly important,
especially when you consider that a healthy diet can help to prevent a variety of
diseases and health problems such as diabetes and obesity. But you also have to
understand that eating unhealthy food in moderation is not overly harmful. In fact,
unhealthy food is often tastier than healthy food, so I guess it’s fine to eat a little junk
food now and then. So all in all, I guess my answer would have to be yes and no.
7. Would
- Would you like to change your name?
- No, I don't want to change my name. In fact I think I'm really fond of my name because
it has quite a deep and significant meaning, and as well as this, my mother chose it for
me so she doesn't want me to change it. Actually, I am sure I will never change my
name!

- Would you like to move to another city?

- Actually, this isn't something that I've ever considered, but in short I suppose I would
possibly consider moving cities, especially if I had the chance to move to a coastal city
like Xiamen or Sanya. If I lived in a seaside city, I would be able to hang out on the beach
every day, and I would also have the opportunity to get into water sports like scuba-
diving and possibly surfing.
PART 3
1. Comparing
- Do men and women like the same hobbies?
- Well obviously, there are a number of clear differences. However, I guess that the
most significant would be that men tend to prefer sporting activities such as football or
basketball. Whereas in contrast, women prefer things like shopping for clothes. In
addition to this, another possible distinction might be that men usually watching films;
while on the other hand, women are more likely to prefer watching soap operas on TV.
2. Predicting
- What will house be like in the future?
- Certainly, I’m sure that most people would agree that there will be a number of major
changes related to this. Initially, I guess that we might begin to see houses that are
much bigger. At the same time, I suppose it’s quite probable that we may have houses
under the sea. And who knows, it could even be possible that we’ll see that arrival of
houses on the moon.
3. Why
- Why do so many people want to be famous?
- In my opinion, I guess, you would have to say that there are probable a number of
factors involved. Primarily, one key motivation would be because they think they would
be able to make more money. As well as this, a subsequent incentive might be because
they want to live in a big house and drive an expensive car.
4. Advantages
- What are the advantages of travelling by trains?
- Well, I suppose that there are quite a few clear benefits, but I would probably say that
for the most part, the one thing that really stands out is that trains are really cheap,
especially for long distance travel – you can travel from one side China to the other for a
few hundred yuan. I guess that another obvious plus point is that it is much faster than
travelling by road – so you can save time by travelling on trains. Along with this, a
further merit is that you can sleep quite comfortably on long train journeys.
5. Disadvantages
- What are the disadvantages of train travel?
- I think it’s fair to say that there are a few negative aspects. I suppose the most
unfavorable quality might be that trains are often overcrowded at certain times of year.
This is a clear limitation because on a long journey you might not be able to find a seat
 which means you have to stand up for hours. At the same time, another stumbling
block might be that train tickets are sometimes difficult to buy, especially around Spring
Festival, and this can be a hassle because it means you can’t always travel on the actual
day that you want to.
6. Problems
- What problems are caused by the increase in use of private cars?
- It’s universally accepted that there a few hazards involved with the increase in the use
of private cars. Essentially, one fundamental concern is probably that it leads to an
increase in pollution. This fact is unmistakably perturbing because we are facing huge
global pollution problems at the moment. Additionally, another major cause for
concern has to be the fact that cars consume huge amounts of our energy resources.
And the underlying repercussions of this are that we will soon be confronted with a
global energy crisis.
7. Solutions
- Solutions for problems No 6?
- In my view, there are a number of actions that could be taken. When dealing with the
first problem, the easiest way to work it out would be to develop new technology for
car engines which does not cause serious air poluttion, maybe some special kind of
exhaust filter. Taking on the second problem, the most successful way to confront this
would be to invest heavily on research into alternative energy resources. In fact, I have
heard that we have already produced a car which runs on water.