Describe a piece of good news you heard from TV or the Internet You should say:
What the news was about? When you got this news? Where you got this news from?
And explain why you think it was a good piece of news.
Sample Answer:
Well, I’d like to talk about the news about the law to cut the use of the plastic bags. Several years ago, our Chinese government approved a law to reduce the excessive consumption of the plastic bags which proved to be a main source of pollution because the bags aren’t degradable. I got this news in the CCTV-1 news channel.
In the past, people could get the plastic bags from various supermarkets for free. As a result, our country had witnessed high consumption of the white pollution for years which would take centuries to degrade. Therefore, we’d like to see a law banning the use of plastic bags in supermarkets and shopping malls while encouraging people to use paper or cotton bags, or repeatedly use the handy plastic bags instead.
Consequently, things are improving. Large supermarket chains, such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour in China, have started to introduce reusable bags and give some rewards to customers who refuse to use plastic bags. As well as that, the law also raises the public’s green awareness to protect our environment, with various efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. For example people tend to buy the fuel-efficiency vehicles instead of the gas- guzzlers in order to emit less carbon dioxide in the same mileage.
Follow-up questions:
- How important is it to know the world news?
I believe it is crucial to know both the world and national news. Knowing news gives you the ability to question actions and things happening. A person might not be able to relate to the decision taken by his or her country without the awareness of the international ongoing. Not only this, a person who reads news also develops the ability to hold a conversation. - Where do the Vietnamese people get their news?
Well, there are three main ways people in Vietnam get their news from: television, newspaper, and the Internet. But I think the newspaper is the most popular simply because it is convenient and cheap and everyone can afford it. People nowadays may not be aware of their excessive reliance on the mass media, take TV as an example. If the TV stations stopped working for one day, many people would just feel so uneasy and wouldn’t know what to do. As for me, I don’t have time to watch much TV. I watch TV only for the news. - Do you think people will use the internet to read news online?
Absolutely, people would prefer to use the internet for reading news online especially through their mobile applications. They are already using the internet to a much larger extent that they check for weather updates, news updates and watch talk shows online on their computers or mobiles. In the future also, this trend is likely to get widen. - Do you think the information on the internet is reliable?
Generally, yes, just as reliable as the TV news or newspapers provide. Information, rather than news, on the internet – well, there’s a lot of it, but you can always find a reputable site and learn what’s considered to be good information. There is a lot of rubbish on the internet sometimes, but on the whole, even if you check a couple of sites and they basically say the same thing – then you know it’s as reliable as almost any other source of information. - Are most people in Vietnam more interested in local news or international news?
I think most Vietnamese people are more concerned with local news and domestic news, which I’d imagine is the same across the world. Unless there are huge stories going on elsewhere, local news has more of an impact on the average citizen. Also, it is easier to understand news that is about areas that you know as opposed to some town in a country you might not even have heard of. - How do you think people will get their news in the future?
In my opinion, traditional newspapers and television will be less popular methods of getting news in the future because of the time lag between when news happen and when readers get them. By contrast, I believe mobile devices will be a dominant way of updating news because they can offer instant news. Another trend that I am thinking of is that readers will play the role of correspondents. In other words, they will report stories by themselves and post those online. - How do most people get their news in your country?
It depends on where they live and how wealthy they are. In rural areas where economic growth is limited and telecommunication infrastructure is still developing, I think traditional newspapers and television are the two most common ways of getting news. In more economically developed areas, people use the Internet and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to update news instantly. - How has the social media changed the way we share the news with other people?
Social media has had a huge impact on the way the world functions. We have surely moved from days when people shared news through regions and then letters. We have even grown apart from calling each other. It is all about now, sharing news on WhatsApp or Facebook. The twitteratis tweet about it and some others share videos online! From having intimate conversations, we now prefer sharing things to a group of people. Apart from the personal news, even the world or international news, people often read about them in their social media news feeds. - How has TV changed our life?
TV provides people with a good opportunity to update reliable and censored news on a regular basis. It also creates a good reason for family members to gather, talk to each other or have a family meal together. However, many people have been so addicted to TV that they forget aspects of their real life. Scientific researches have indicated that watching a lot of TV can increase the probability of diabetes and obesity. - What do you think of children watching TV?
Watching TV is certainly beneficial for children in some way as it helps them relax and feel excited about something new. There are a range of TV programs aiming at children that provide really useful academic knowledge and understanding. However, watching TV for a huge amount of time without physical exercises can lead to physical and mental issues such as being overweight. - Do you believe everything said in the news?
No I do not. Certainly before being published, news and stories in the newspapers must be censored by newspaper providers. However, sometimes this process is done quickly and irresponsibly, which results in unreliable information. There are cases where journalist’s bias on a certain issue affects the validity of stories. For example, a feminist journalist would probably see all men as the causes and offenders of domestic violence. - What’s the difference between broadcasting news in the past and in the present?
With internet gaining so much of momentum, I think people have changed their way of reading news from printed one to the news on internet. There are many newspaper companies and news channels that have already created their account on social media. So, when most of the people are glued to their Facebook ids, they often get the latest updates from the news channels or papers. Although, there are some people who still prefer newspaper or news channels, I think in coming times, there will be more people who will be taking in information from the internet. - In terms of news, do you think there is much difference between newspapers and news channels?
Surely there is a difference. Newspapers have a limited space and they need to cater to a larger and broader audience. Giving simply news is not going to help the newspapers. So, there are sections for editorial and then news. Even more, there are newspapers with a section of games. With news channels, there prime motive is showing news. They don’t have much foundation on the content limit. Certain news can be broken down and telecasted more number of times to give it the entire perspective. - Are young and old people interested in the same news content?
I think this question partially depends on how old young people are. If they are in their twenties, I think for the most part, the news they are interested in is the same. Younger people do seem to be more interested in tilings like celebrities and pop culture than older people, but 1 think they stay pretty educated about the more important news. Older people are less concerned with the pop culture news, and are more concerned with the news that matters more to the world and their country. - Other possible questions:
Is it convenient to read news on the internet in your country?
What do people like negative news?
How often do Vietnamese people buy newspaper?
Do you think negative information in the news will have negative influence?
Do you think there is too much news about celebrity?