Describe an interesting experience during your childhood.
You should say: When it happened Who you were with
And explain how you felt about it
Sample answer:
Well, I would like to tell you about the time I prepared a handmade present for my mother on my own for her birthday when I was a small child.
So, it was on my mother’s 32nd birthday and I really wanted to give my mother a special gift that wasn’t like others’. After much thought and consideration, I came up with the idea of drawing a portrait as a gift. So, I rolled up my sleeves and started working really hard on the painting two weeks before her birthday. However, it was an overwhelmingly difficult task to me because at that point, I had no drawing experience. I just tried my best to portray her on a piece of paper as careful as possible, even though the way I drew was really messy and clumsy (I did not know that till I grew up).
The picture was finally completed after ten days of struggling but I was afraid that my mother would think this was just an ugly piece of art and throw it away. But things turned out to be completely different! When I gave my mother the picture, she was completely moved and became really emotional. She said that was the best gift she ever received in her life. It was an unforgettable experience to me as that was one of the few times I did something for my mother.
Follow-up questions:
- Do you think people often idealize their childhood?
Certainly they do. The older we get, the more nostalgic we get about the past. It’s only normal. And why should we dwell on the negatives. I don’t think it does any harm to idealize a bit if it makes us happy to remember things in a more positive light. The only danger is that it may make unhappy with our current lost to believe that everything was so much better back then. - How does a person’s childhood influence what kind of adult they become?
Well, I suppose the adult you become is influenced by three main factors. Firstly, your childhood, that is nurture; then your genes, that is naturel and last but not least, the choices you make as an adult. To my mind, of all three, nurture has the greatest impact. They’ve conducted research on twins who were separated at birth and while there are undoubtedly many similarities between them, they are also very different in many key ways: their success in the world of work, their relationships with other people. I think all this is influenced by the role models we have throughout our childhoods. - What does a child become an adult in your view?
That’s a difficult question to answer and all societies grapple with this issue. It is, of course critical for the criminal justice system to define an adult correctly, or at least try to, because if somebody commits a crime as a child, they get treated more leniently than if they commit a crime as an adult. So I suppose you have to decide when you think people become fully responsible for their actions. I wouldn’t want to be the one making the decision. I just don’t know. - Do you agree with the saying children should be seen and not heard.
I’m assuming this means that children should respect their elders and not create havoc by being noisy and answering adults back. I have some sympathy with this view. However, moderation is usually the best course to take in doing as they’re told. Too many children nowadays think they run the household, making demands, etc. However, it is also true that child is part of the family, too and also deserves respect. I think this means they should be allowed to express their points of view and they should be listened to and consulted. It’s a fine balance. I suppose. - It is good for children to be exposed to frightening and sad experiences or should they be protected from these as far as possible?
I don’t think they should experience too many sad or terrifying experiences, it can be helped. Nevertheless, what is very useful for teaching children about these darker sides of life without scarring them is stories. In stories they can learn about evil and the dangers in the world around them, but in a controlled way where the ‘baddies’ are punished and everyone ends up happy.
This gives them a focus for the fears that all children have but it is a fictional one so doesn’t upset their peace of mind. - Are children in your country generally well brought up?
My instinct is to say so, because you see many misbehaving children when you’re out and about. In reality, there are probably many more well brought up children than badly brought ones, it’s just the good children don’t attract your attention as much. - What kinds of children’s activities are there available in your city?
Children in our city often play outdoor games, though this trend is changing day-by-day with the advancement of computing and gaming devices. Children can visit the museum, zoological garden, and amusement parks in my city. They often go to exhibitions from schools which they enjoy a lot. Many parents take their children to their relative or friends’ houses where they play and make friends with other kids. They are also allowed to watch cartoons and other programmes suitable for them. - What activities do you think there will be in the future?
As the technology is advancing rapidly and is becoming more popular among the children, I think computer games, Internet and TV programmes would become more popular among children in the future. The schools are evolving from merely educational institutions to more entertaining and interactive, the schools would arrange a more social gathering, party and tour that would become prominent in the future and many children would get engaged in these activities. Parents would become more conscious to nurture the hidden talents among their kids and that’s why they would take them to different places to let them experience the world. - What kind of pressure do children have at school?
From my experience, I can say that children nowadays have more classes to attend, more home works to do and more exam to take. From this regards, the children are burdened with the extended syllabus and lot of home-works. Many schools even make the project works and day- long classes mandatory and as a result, today’s children are under a lot of pressure. - Other possible questions:
What do you need to do to interest a child in such activities?
How do you think adults should improve their relations with children?