Describe a place where you felt crowded. You should say:
Where it is
When do you usually go there? What do you do there?
And explain why it is crowded.
Sample answer:
I would like to talk about my recent trips to Ba Den pagoda, which was a memorable experience due to a massive number of visitors I encountered. During Tet holiday, my family often drives Tay Ninh province to visit my grandfather and last year we decided to take a short trip to Ba Den pagoda on Ba Den Mountain.
Before getting on the hanging cable to the pagoda, I felt that it would be surrounded by hundreds of Buddhists because this sacred place attracts countless visitors on a daily basis, let alone the biggest holiday in Vietnam, Tet. And, I was right: People with their punches of flowers and candles were everywhere. At the corner, lines of people were trying to ignite their incense sticks with some oil lamps or candles. Inside the pagoda, many Buddhist visitors were kneeling and praying with their eyes closed. It was pretty hard for my family to even find some room to stand.
However, we successfully managed to find a way through the crowd and got close to the worship place. My grandfather stayed outside since he couldn’t stand the smoke and lack of oxygen. Although I understand that most Vietnamese enjoy going to pagodas or temples in these special days of the year to wish for good luck, well-being and happiness, I don’t think I want to follow that tradition in the future.
Follow-up questions:
- Is there a completely quiet place?
What a fascinating question! My personal thought is that there’s virtually no absolutely peaceful and quiet spot in modern society. At least there’s some soft background noise or music to make the air less dull and heavy. Having said this, at night, we can catch sight of many parts of the town noiseless and dead quiet, which can be explained by the fact that most people might have fallen into a sound sleep. - Do you like large place?
It’s hard to tell, I don’t have any preference when it comes to this but sometimes it depends on the purpose of liking it. First and foremost, if I talk about my own place at home, of course I would say that I would like to have a huge space because it feels comfortable and cozy to live in a spacious house. As a matter of fact, we just moved in to a bigger house recently and living there seems to feel like heaven. However, there’s an exemption, if it talks about the city I prefer a small city because it is less hassle and way more peaceful compared to large cities. - Do you like to go to the places where there are many people?
Like some of my friends, I’m an extrovert and really love being surrounding by a great many of people. Therefore, I often hang out with a bunch of buddies in some vibrant places like the cinema or parks to let my hair down after some hardworking days.
Another point worth mentioning is that only by being in somewhere packed with people can I broaden my social circles and have fresh experiences. Otherwise, I will feel dead bored if there are no gorgeous chicks around to flirt, just a joke. - What types of noises do you come across in your daily life? Do any noises bother you?
Living in a city like HCM city, I usually hear the noises of traffic, music played aloud to attract more customers at the shops as well as the noise of construction. Most of the times, I get sickened by the high level of noise. Noises from traffic or construction sites bother me a lot.
Anyway, I feel irritated at any kind of noise. - Would you like to work in a noisy place? (Why?/Why not?)
No. Never! What kind of work I do, I bet I need to focus and think an organized way. A noisy place drives me crazy, and I don’t think I can do anything in such a circumstance. If I remember rightly there was a time when I was in a coffee shop with deafening background rock music and I didn’t manage to get any work done at all. - How might the level of urban noise be reduced?
There can be a number of approaches that can be adopted to relieve the level of noise in urban areas. The first one should be the installation of noise proof walls, which can immensely curb the noise from neighboring houses interfering in the daily routines of other households. The second approach is that government should impose strict regulation, meaning that people mustn’t do things that affect surrounding people after midnight or at noon, where people are supposed to fall sound asleep or take a short nap before their next hardworking period. - What kinds of places do people want to go to when they want to be alone? Honestly speaking, city dwellers often try to manage a trip to the countryside, where the atmosphere is tranquil and serene, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Some others who are preoccupied with their work tend to make an escape to a secluded lake or park where they spend time reading a book or pursuing other hobbies like drawing. Also, some people would rather just stay at home, in their room listening to music or doing other trivial stuff.
- Why is it sometimes important for people to be alone?
Do people feel comfortable in quiet places? Being on your own sometimes proves to be a good chance to contemplate on life, the challenges you are confronting and therefore figure out ways to sort those problems out once and for all. Meanwhile, others just hope to get themselves away from the hustle and bustle of the city life and spare some room for their own to pursue their own hobbies and interests, like listening to their favorite melodious tunes or drawing some pictures - What places, in your opinion, can be considered as peaceful places?
Well, although in this modern society, we can see hustle and bustle here and there, we still could have some peaceful places to go around us. For example, libraries are usually quiet places, even when some people may chat with their friends, they would lower their voices to the lowest degree, so that little disturbances will occur to others. Also, in some temples, where people are praying in their hearts before the Buddha or God, all the noises and chaos will be gone. If one pays attention, there will be many other peaceful places around us to go. - Where can you hear loud noise?
Actually, loud noises can be heard everywhere if you live in a busy city, regardless of whether it is day or night. Noises from the car engines, nightclubs, from the airport or some nasty neighbors throwing a party and singing karaoke are only few instances. Even worse, some are unfortunate to have a noisy family so it is natural for them to hear fierce quarrels on a daily basis. - Do you think there is more noise in people’s lives today than in the past?
Well to be honest, I would have to admit that modern humankind is suffering from greater levels of noise pollution than our ancestors some decades ago. The most reasonable explanation for this is that as the population swells, people live closer and closer to one another. Consequently, some frequently complain that their neighbors are a nuisance especially when they throw an overnight party, sing karaoke loudly or have fierce quarrels. Another factor is the development of high-tech; most people in public places are often in hold of a smartphone while having a loud conversation. Somehow, technology is to blame, I think. - Do you think that cities will become noisier in the future?
It is difficult to predict the future, but I reckon there are going to be some changes with regard to the level of noise future generations have to bear. I’m not sure exactly what will happen but one possibility is the rising number of vehicles on the roads and the increasing popularity of high-tech gadgets in our daily life, which I bet will lead to the uneasiness and bad moods among people. Furthermore, this might sound a bit crazy, but I think one day, everyone will have to wear hearing aids or noise cancelling headphones since as the moment they goes out of the house, noise will come from everywhere. - What would you do if your neighbors were noisy all the time?
I suppose there is not much I can do if my next-door neighbors make incessant noises since it is their right to do what they want and no persuasion is effective, from my experience.
However, as I am a brutally honest kind of guy, I would come straight to their house and propose my suggestions. If they are so persistent and refuse to listen to my words, I think I would have no other choice but call the police to solve the matter once and for all. - Other possible questions:
Why do some people not like quiet/crowded places?
Do you need a quiet place when you are working?
Where do Vietnamese people like to go on weekends?
Why do you think people like to visit shopping centers?