Do you agree with the idea?

Vocabulary Practice

friend [‘frend] n.

1. a person, not a relation, who one knows and likes well

e.g. She is my best friend.

e.g. He has been a good friend to me.

to make friends (with smb.) = to be (become) a friend of a person

2. a helpful thing or quality

e.g. Among gossips, silence can be your best friend.

3. a helper or sympathizer

e.g. a good friend of the poor.

friendly [‘frendli] adj. (-ier, -iest); opp. - unfriendly

1. friendly (to, towards, with smb.) acting or ready to act as a friend

to be on friendly terms with smb.

2. (attrib.) kind

3. (attrib) helping

friendliness n., opp. hostility

friendship [‘frend∫ip] n. (an instance, period, of)

the feeling of relationship that exists between friends.

e.g. I enjoy my friendship with her.

e.g. We have enjoyed a friendship of 20 years.

Synonyms to friendship:

affection, alliance, association, attachment, closeness, fellowship, fondness, harmony, intimacy, rapport, relationship.

Synonyms to friend:

acquaintance, associate, inf. buddy, inf. chum, companion, comrade, confidant(e), inf. crony, intimate, inf. mate, pal, partner, playmate, supporter, well-wisher.

opp. enemy

• What does it mean to be a good friend?

• What kind of friend shall I be?

• Who will I include in my circle of friends?

• How shall I treat my friends?

• How do I cope with the loss of a friend?

• What can I learn about friends and friendships from the novels we read in school?

• How can I be a better friend?

YOU

Describe yourself.

FAMILY

Describe your family?
Do you have a large or small family?
How much time do you spend with your family?
What do you like to do together as a family?
Do you get along well with your family?
Are people in your country generally close to their families?

WORK

What do you do?
What are your responsibilities?
How many hours do you work each day?
Do you enjoy your work?
Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
Describe the process of getting a job in your country.
Describe the company or organization you work for.
What is your position?
What do you like about your job?
What do you dislike about your job?

EDUCATION

Describe your education.
What kind of school did you go to as a child?
Did you go to a co-educational school?
What was your favourite subject as a child?
Who was your favourite teacher?
What is the education system like in your country?
Do you think your country has an effective education system?

STUDIES

What are you studying now?
What is your area of specialization?

HOMETOWN

Describe your hometown.
What’s special about it?
Where is your hometown located?
Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
What is it known for?
What do people in your town do?
What are the main industries in your hometown?
What problems face your hometown?
What languages are spoken in your hometown?
What are the advantages of living in your hometown?
What are some problems faced by your hometown?
Compare your hometown with another city.
What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?

WEATHER

What’s the weather like in your country?
Does the weather affect your mood?
How do rainy days make you feel?
What’s your favourite season of the year?
What do you like to do when it’s hot?
What do you usually do in the winter?
How many seasons does your country have?

HOME

Describe your home.
What kind of building do you live in?
How long have you lived there?

WEDDING

Have you ever been to a wedding?
Whose wedding was it?
Where was it held?
What clothes do people wear?
Describe the wedding ceremony.
What sort if gifts do people buy for the bridal couple?
What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?

TRAVEL

Do you like to travel?
What kind of places have you visited in your life?
Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?

COMPUTERS

Do you think computers help society?
Do you think computers are bad for health?
How do you think computers have changed the world?

INTERNET

Do you use the Internet much during the day?
What do you usually do on the Internet?
What are some advantages of the Internet?
What are some disadvantages?
Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?
Do you do any shopping on the Internet?

Do you send and receive email regularly?
Who do you usually communicate with?
How often do you check your email?
Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?
What are some disadvantages of email?

FRIEND