Culture / Lifestyle

1. Imagine you   found a nice little restaurant that serves your favorite food. Tell me what   your favorite food is and why you like it (60 seconds)
 
My favorite food is Kamja-tang. It is   made of boned pork, potatoes and other vegetables. I like this food because   it is very healthy and delicious. Also, it’s very filling. Its flavor is a   bit spicy but very tasty. When you finish the meat, you can add some rice and   mix it with the soup so nothing is wasted. I sometimes go out with friends   and eat Kamja-tang with Soju, a Korean alcoholic drink. It is a great dish for   bringing people together. That’s why I like this food. 
 
2.  Compare living in an apartment to living in a privately owned   house (60 Sec)
 
Living in an apartment requires less time   for maintenance than living in a privately owned house. A building manager   takes care of apartment buildings and makes sure all facilities are working   properly. The only thing that apartment owners must do is take care of their own   apartment. However, living in a privately owned house provides a greater   feeling of ownership and freedom than living in an apartment since homeowners   can do as they please with their property.    In addition they don’t have to worry as much about their neighbors   since they have more living space.
 
3.  Compare the advantages and disadvantages of buying used furniture   (60 sec)
 
One of the advantages of buying used   furniture is that it’s inexpensive. Since it’s much cheaper to buy used   furniture, people can buy a variety of items at a lower cost than if they buy   the furniture new. However, a disadvantage of buying used furniture is that it   is usually dirty and worn out. For people moving into a new house, old   furniture looks out of place. In addition, such furniture would probably have   to be replaced soon.

4.  Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of eating out (60 sec)
 
One of the advantages of eating out is   that you can enjoy a variety of foods. There are many different kinds of   restaurants to choose from, each having a large selection of delicious   dishes. If you have enough money, visiting various restaurants can be a lot   of fun, and it requires much less effort than preparing food at home. On the   other hand, one of the disadvantages of eating out is that the food tends to   be more fattening than food prepared and eaten at home. Many restaurants   prepare their dishes using oil, meat, and other high caloric ingredients. If   people eat this kind of food regularly they may become fat and develop heath   problems.
 
5.  Compare living in the country to living in cities (60 sec)
 
Living in the country is more relaxing   that living in a city because life is slower there. Country people tend not   to hurry as much as city people do. In addition, the natural surroundings of   the country help people to feel calm and peaceful. On the other hand, living   in a city is more exciting than living in the country. There are many places   of entertainment such as theaters, museums, and opera houses in cities.   Cities also provide convenient forms of transportation, such as subway   trains, buses, and taxis.
 
6.  Compare the advantages and disadvantages of writing a letter to   using a telephone (60 Sec)
 
An advantage of writing a letter to   someone is that it can be a very personal and private way to communicate.   However, a disadvantage of writing is that it takes time and effort. If you’re   in a hurry to do something, writing a letter will take more time than   speaking to others directly. An advantage of using a telephone is that you   can quickly and easily call someone and communicate your ideas directly. It   allows people to cooperate, although they may be thousands of miles apart. A   disadvantage of using a telephone is that for long distance callers it can be   quite expensive.
 
7.  Some people live with their parents after graduation from   university. Other people live by themselves. What might be some reasons for   these different situations (60 sec)

One of the reasons some people live with   their parents is that they want to save money after graduation from university.   Renting a house can be quite expensive so some people choose to live with   their parents. However, some people choose to live by themselves after   graduation from university. I think it’s because they want independence from   their parents.  Also, for some, if they   live far from their workplace, they have to find a place to stay near the   workplace. Therefore, there are some people who live by themselves.
 
8.  What kind of music do you enjoy? (60 sec)
 
I enjoy classical music. I like to listen   to calm and peaceful music when I feel stressed. When I listen to classical   music, I feel relaxed and refreshed. Although I don’t know much about classical   music, I can learn about the piece by listening to it. It also helps me to be   more creative and more expressive. In addition, classical music doesn’t have   lyrics so I can enjoy listening without focusing on words. For these reasons,   I like classical music. 
 
9.  What do you prefer, traditional art, or modern art? (60 sec)
 
I prefer modern art because I am more   familiar with it.  Since I was young I have   seen more modern art than traditional art, thus I feel I know more about   it.  When I look at modern art I can   imagine and understand what the artist is trying to say through the piece.   However, it’s not easy for me to understand traditional art. I know that it’s   important to know about history; however, I do not feel any connection to traditional   art forms. This is especially true when I listen to traditional Korean music:   I simply don’t have any idea what the music is trying to say. Therefore, I   prefer modern art.
 
10.  Nowadays culture is changing a lot. What part of your culture do   you hope will not change? (60 Sec)
 
I hope that the Korean tradition of respecting   older people will not change. Nowadays Western culture is making its way into   our country. It is sad to see that many young people worship Western ideas.  In Korean tradition we have developed many   ways to show our respect to older people.    For example, it’s normal to see younger people give up their seats to   older people in the bus or subway. Also, our language has some ways to show   respect to older people. I think this is a really special feature of Korean   culture. Therefore, I hope that the culture of respecting older people will   not change.
 
11.  Some people prefer living near large bodies of water, such as the   ocean; others prefer living near large mountains. Which do you prefer? (60   Sec)
 
I prefer living near the ocean because I   feel more relaxed when I am by the sea. Every summer I go to the beach for a   vacation. When I am at the beach, I play beach volleyball, sunbathe, and go   sailing with some of my friends. It’s always fun. Also, I enjoy raw fish.   When you live near the ocean, you can easily get fresh raw fish at a low   price. Therefore, I prefer living near the ocean to living near large   mountains

12.  You are my friend and I am thinking about moving to your town.   Please explain to me the advantages of living in your town.
 
One of the advantages of living in my   town is that it has a great public transportation system. My town has the   best transportation system in my country. Also, the fares aren’t expensive.   You can easily get around the town at a very reasonable price. Another   advantage of living in my town is that it has several multiplex theaters. If   you like movies you can easily get to one of the theaters.
 
13.  If you could move any place where the weather is good, where would   you like to live and why?
 
If I could move any place I would like to   live in Auckland. I visited Auckland, New Zealand last summer. I really   enjoyed the weather and the atmosphere there. The beaches were clean, people   were friendly, and the residents seemed to enjoy their lives fully. Also,   there were a variety of restaurants so I tried many dishes—I thought I was in   paradise! Therefore, I would like to live in Auckland if I could choose to   live anywhere.
 
14.  Some people like to listen to instrumental music and others prefer   music with lyrics. What do you prefer?
 
I prefer to listen to music with lyrics   because I like to know what the songs are about. I find it very difficult to   enjoy music without words. When I listen to music with lyrics, I can   sometimes identify with the songs. This helps me to relax and feel happy.   Also, I enjoy singing along while listening to music. This is a great way of   easing stress. Therefore, I prefer music with lyrics.

 
15.  There is a saying ‘It is better to give than to receive’. Do you   agree or disagree with this saying. Please explain.

I agree with the saying ‘It’s better to   give than to receive’. When I was young I used to think that it was better to   receive than to give because I loved to receive presents from my parents and   friends. As I get older, however, I begin to realize that it’s better to give   than to receive. I feel good when I give a gift to someone I care about.   Also, it gives me great pleasure to see my friends or parents happiness when   they receive presents from me.  Therefore,   I agree that it’s better to give than to receive.