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  • 1. Describe one of your family members you spend the most time with
    • Who is he/she?
    • What do you usually do together?
    • What kind of person he/she is?
    • Why you spend most of the time with him/her?
    • If I had to talk about myself, I would say I am very reserved person and it takes a lot of time to become familiar with strangers.
    • However, I love spending time with my family.
    • I am very close to both my parents but as we are all working (as they are working and I am studying), it’s hard for us to spend time together.
    • The person I do spend a lot of time together with is my nephew- my sister’s child.
    • He is nearly five years old.
    • He is very special to me.
    • There are many reasons for that.
    • Firstly, everyone says that he looks like me and secondly, we both like spending time with each other.
    • I think the reason for that is we feel very comfortable with each other.
    • I get to act like a child around him and I miss being a child.
    • He is also like me – very shy with strangers and he is very naughty – just like I was in my childhood.
    • So, spending time with him reminds me of my childhood in some ways.
    • In my childhood, I was in a hurry to grow up but now I sometimes wish I could reverse time and bring back my childhood.
    • There are so many things we do together.
    • But something that we really enjoy doing is to play pranks on Deepa, my sister and his mother.
    • I think we can do that all day long.
    • We also both love eating chocolates, so whenever we can, we try to buy and eat chocolates secretly.
    • However, I do get scolded sometimes as I am the adult.
    • I also have a dog and so we both like playing with her.
    • We love taking her out on walks and feeding her.
    • In the evening, I take my nephew to the park and just spend time on the swings there.
    • Sometimes, I wish he would always remain a child, but I know that’s not going to happen even if I wish for it a million times.

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. How many generations usually live together in India?

    I think the situation in India is undergoing a change. Earlier joint families were more common and three or four generations used to live together. On the other hand, nowadays nuclear families are more common with maximum of two generations living together.

    2. Is it important to visit family members?

    Yes, it is really important to meet family regularly. I think family defines us and family is what supports us and stands with us in bad times. However, I think this selfless bond only stays if we remain in contact with each other.

    3. What are the values of family in your country?

    The think the main values of family in India are respect for elders and prioritizing the needs of the family over our individual needs. That is why, in India we think in us rather in me,

    For Example we own a house, we own this car. 

    4. Why is family bonding necessary for happiness in life?

    Family bonding is necessary for happiness because it gives us secure. I mean it makes us feel that we are not alone, there is someone behind us.

    5. Do you think the support from a friend is different from the support from a family member?

    I think certainly. There is an element of selflessness in family relationships, which I feel is missing when it comes to support from friends. Also, it doesn’t create a burden. What I mean is we do take help from friends but then it also makes us feel that we have to repay it.

    This feeling doesn’t come in the case of family.

    6. Who should be more responsible for educating the children in a family?

    I think both the parents should be equally responsible. However, I also believe that both parents necessarily don’t teach the same things. For example, both boys and girls learn gender appropriate behaviour from fathers, while they love more about loving, sharing and caring from mother.

    7. Do you think there are differences between how men and women care for children?

    Yes, there is certainly a difference. In India, fathers are generally stricter, and they don’t show their love openly. Mothers are much more open in showing their love and affection. I think it’s hard to define the difference, but I certainly feel there is a difference.

    8. Do your parents do household chores equally?

    Yes, my parents are very particular about the household chores. For example, my father is responsible for buying the vegetables from the market daily. He also makes the breakfast and tea, while my mother makes the lunch and dinner. I also have the responsibility of taking out the trash in the morning and feeding the dog. We have a maid for cleaning and other things.

  • 2. Describe an important journey that was delayed

    • Why was it important?
    • What caused the delay?
    • What happened at the end?
    • Describe what caused the delay?
    • India is a beautiful and diverse country and there are so many things I love about it.
    • Unfortunately, its public transportation is not one of them, especially trains and buses in India.
    • Trains and buses often get delayed because of reasons like traffic, fog and other unforeseen circumstances.
    • Today, I am going to talk about one time when I got delayed because of something unexpected.
    • My parents and I were travelling to Ahmadabad for my cousin’s wedding, and it was the middle of the monsoon season. 
    • However, we were travelling through Rajasthan, which is one of the drier parts of India.
    • So, we weren’t expecting any rain, but nature had other plans for us.
    • It started raining about five hours into the journey and it rained incessantly for hours.
    • We still thought it was ok and it’s just rain and it would subside sometime soon.
    • But it didn’t.
    • In fact, our train stopped at one station because everything ahead was flooded.
    • A railway official told us that it was one of the worst floods in the state and the railway tracks were submerged under 2-3 inches of water.
    • I vividly remember one scene when we entered a railway office to enquire when the train would leave.
    • All the chairs were floating, and the railway officials were sitting on the top of tables.
    • When we all think about that journey, it is the first scene that comes to mind.
    • Finally, after hours the train moved again. 
    • We missed the wedding, but we did attend the reception which was the next day.
    • When I think about it, I don’t remember anything about the return journey.
    • The floods did cause inconvenience, but it also made the journey much more memorable.

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. What mode of travel do you consider the safest?

    I think earlier I considered travelling by car to be the safest but because of the increasing traffic and road accidents, I now consider train journey as the safest. So, whenever I have to travel long distance I travel by train. I also consider air journeys to be safe, but the recent airplane disappearances have made me less sure.

    2. How do people travel long distance in your country?

    I think the most common means of travel for majority of the people is train. However, with increasing incomes, many people have started travelling by air as well.

    3. How can travelling be useful to people? What do you think people can learn by travelling to other countries?

    Travelling is useful is many ways. First, its one the best ways to meet new people and make friends. Secondly, it enables us to learn about new cultures and traditions. Travelling also in a way breaks the monotony of everyday life. There is something very enjoyable about planning a holiday and visiting other places.

    4. Where, in our opinion, should people visit during the vacations? What types of places do you recommend people to visit during vacations?

    I have thought about it a lot. I think people should take vacations at a place, which is different from their own native place. For example, I live in the plains, so I love travelling to the hills and mountains. People who live in continental locations can visit the beaches. Ultimately though, it all depends upon people’s choice.

    5. In what ways can society benefit from such members?

    I believe there are several ways a society can benefit from such members. Firstly, regular travellers can make a society more open-minded by spreading knowledge about other cultures. It also builds curiosity among other members of the society to travel. Finally, sometimes when these travellers like something about other cultures, they might bring it to their native place as well.

    6. How do you think commercial flights can improve?

    I think the biggest issue with commercial flights today is the lack of leg space, which makes it very tiring to travel. In fact, sometimes after long journeys all I can think about is lying down and sleeping on a bed for hours. Moreover, I think the food prices in aircrafts are really exorbitant and I wish these prices are made more reasonable.

  • 3. Describe an experience you had as a member of a team

    • What it was?
    • Who were the members of the team?
    • What role did you play in this team?
    • And explain how you achieved your goal?
    • I have had both negative and positive experiences while working in teams.
    • Today, I am going to talk about the best experience I have had.
    • I think it was because I had a good rapport with the team members and also because the role, I undertook was something I enjoyed a lot.
    • In 12th standard as a part of the course of economics, our class was given a team project.
    • My teacher made teams of three members and the team members were selected randomly.
    • Unfortunately, I did not know any of the other team members in my group.
    • I mean I knew their names but nothing more than that.
    • So, I was very apprehensive at the beginning, but it all changed with time.
    • We were allowed to choose the topic of the project ourselves.
    • So, we chose the topic of global economic crisis during 2007-2008.
    • All of us were very curious about what happened for such a big crisis and moreover why
    • India was not very affected.
    • You can say I was the nerd in the team, so I was given the role of collecting data.
    • However, both the other team members also helped.
    • I still remember how we spent every afternoon sitting and reading books on the topic in the library.
    • We also read some journals on the topic on the internet.
    • It was during this part that we three became really good friends.
    • I compiled all the information and then all of it into divided different portions and wrote it down.
    • The last part of the project was team presentation.
    • I was really afraid as I found speaking in front of people really daunting. But my team mates really helped me then. I think we practiced giving the presentation three four times and that made me much more confident.
    • I think we all did really well in the presentation because only two teams got an A grade in the presentation and we were one of the two.

       Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. Do you like to work alone or work with a partner?

    I like working alone because I kind of hate being dependent upon other people. However, it also depends upon the team members. If I have a good rapport with the team members, I find it rather enjoyable.

    2. What kind of people are good to work with?

    The most important quality I try to look for in team members is sincerity. I mean sincerity with work. I have unfortunately worked with a lot of people, who procrastinate endlessly, and I really dislike working with such people.

    3. Do you like group work or group learning?

    Yes, group learning/work is certainly enjoyable because it involves sharing of ideas and discussions. Working/Studying alone sometimes can be very boring. However, sometimes it is also irritating especially if some of the team members like talking a lot because then I get distracted.

    4. What are the advantages of studying alone?

    The biggest advantage of studying alone undoubtedly is that we can concentrate better. So, it is more efficient to study alone. Another advantage of studying alone is the flexibility it offers. What I mean is that we can study whenever or wherever we want, and we can study at our pace.

    5. What can children learn through teamwork?

    The main benefit I feel is children learn how to cooperate and work along with others. This is really beneficial in adult life when people have to work together on projects.

    6. What are the disadvantages of working in a team?

    I think, firstly, working in a team can be really inefficient because we have to work at common group speed. Secondly, it sometimes leads to feeling of helplessness if the other members are not very sincere about their work and we are dependent upon them to finish their work.

    7. Is it good to have differences in a team?

    Well both yes and no. Yes, because team differences make sure more time is spent deliberating on issues, which means there are less chance of errors. No, because having differences means that it slows things down.

    8. What are key skills and abilities needed to be successful in a team?

    I think the main skill required to be successful is the ability to work well with others. People should be accommodating, but also not so accommodating that they lose their voice. What I mean is that they should be open to ideas of others but also express their ideas and reservations about ideas of others.

  • 4. Describe a goal that you achieved, which was set by yourself Or describe a time when you set a goal and tried your best to achieve it
    • What it was
    • When did you set it?
    • How did you achieve it?
    • Explain how it influenced your life
    • I don’t think I have a strong willpower and many times I set have set goals but failed to achieve them.
    • But last to last year, I made a new year’s resolution and I made sure I completed it.
    • In 2018, I took my board exams and I unfortunately I spent a lot of time sitting at home for two to three months.
    • Because of the lack of physical activity, I gained 5 kgs of weight in those months.
    • Due to the weight gain, I also lost confidence and stopped talking to my friends.
    • Thus, I started staying indoors and I gained even more weight.
    • So, at the beginning of 2019 I decided to lose all the weight that I gained and regain my confidence.
    • I mainly did three things to achieve it.
    • First, I joined a gym and stayed regular with it.
    • Every day I used to wake up at 6 AM and go to the gym.
    • I spent about 45 minutes to 1 hour at the gym.
    • The second thing I did was to control and manage my diet.
    • I stopped eating sweets and packaged products.
    • This was really hard for I love sweets.
    • It was especially hard to give up on chocolates.
    • The last thing I did was to sleep on time.
    • I could only be regular with the gym if I woke up on time and that meant I needed to sleep on time.
    • Earlier I had the habit of binge-watching TV shows and so I used to stay up late at night.
    • I used to wake up just very late and thus if I did that, I would never have been able to go to the gym.
    • I didn’t stop watching TV shows, I just made sure I watched only 1 episode every day.
    • My gym trainer also told me that proper eight hours of sleep for muscles to regenerate and heal so sleeping on time was very important.
    • After three months of this schedule, I was finally able to lose all that weight.
    • Doing this made me really confident and I started going out and meeting my friends again.
    • If you are a bit healthy now – you can say - Unfortunately I have again gained some weight and I am planning to do this again.

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. Do people need to write down goals or simply memorize them?

    Well I live to write down my goals. It just provides that extra motivation in that weak moment or when we are having a bad day and we feel like giving up.

    2. Do Indian people usually set goals?

    Yes, many Indian people do. In fact, I remember on 1st of January a lot of my friends and I share our New Year goals and resolutions.

    3. Should parents set goals for children?

    I think parents should motivate children to keep goals, but I don’t think parents should themselves keep the goals. Because I think if children don’t keep the goals, they won’t have the same level of motivation to fulfil them.

    4. When do young people start setting goals for themselves?

    I think there is no fixed age. It all depends upon the person’s maturity and level of responsibility. Some people start keeping goals at a very early age like at twelve or thirteen, while others start keeping goals after reaching adulthood. Goal setting is much more about self-fulfilment and making oneself better and this realization to make oneself better sometimes come early and sometimes late.

    5. What are the kinds of goals that are unrealistic?

    I think goals which are in tune with a person’s personality are realistic. I mean if I decide to do something which would require me to make a drastic change in my personality; I would not be able to achieve it. So that would be unrealistic for me.

    6. Do young people and old people have different kinds of goals? What are they?

    I think both yes and no. Yes, in the sense that young people goals are more about achieving something in life, while goals for old people are about helping their young achieve their goals in life. No because sometimes goals can be similar too, for example I see both young and old trying to lose weight and look smart in the gyms

    7. what is more fulfilling working towards a goal or achieving it?

    I think both are fulfilling in their own sense. Working towards a goal is about meeting and overcoming challenges, it is about failing and getting back up. Finally, achieving a goal brings a feeling and that efforts did make a difference. However, if we didn’t struggle to achieve something, neither the work we put in nor the final goal brings in fulfilment.

    8. Do you think it’s important to have realistic goals?

    I think being realistic has its own advantages and disadvantages. Its advantageous because if the goals are unrealistic it is very easy to give up and believe that it was not possible in the first place. It’s also harmful in the sense that we never test our limits. We never try to go beyond. So, I generally set goals to just beyond realistic.

  • 5. Describe a person who has apologized to you

    • Who this person is?
    • When this happened?
    • What this person said for apologizing?
    • Explain how you felt about the apology?
    • Knowingly or unknowingly we all do some wrong things in life for which we feel sorry within ourselves.
    • Sometimes we hurt another person or someone else hurts our feelings.
    • Whenever I realize my mistake, I don’t hesitate to feel sorry immediately.
    • Here, I would like to talk about my friend, Rohan, who apologized to me for spilling ink on my assignment.
    • Rohan is my best friend.
    • He is 20 years old and he is not tall, but looks very handsome.
    • He has dark curly hair and a dimple on his cheek, which looks very nice when he smiles.
    • It so happened, that two days before our pre-board exams of +2, we had to submit our physics assignment.
    • We both had prepared our assignments with great effort and were very happy with the end result.
    • Rohan had bought a new ink-pen, and was trying to write his name on the cover page of the assignment.
    • But, there was some problem with the pen.
    • In an effort to start writing with the pen, he shook it hard and the whole ink fell on my assignment, which was also lying there.
    • I was on the verge of tears.
    • All my hard work was wasted.
    • He also felt bad and said sorry to me.
    • I could see from his face expressions that he was really sorry.
    • But, my heart was sinking.
    • I knew it was not his fault, so I forgave him.
    • But I also knew that I would have to write my assignment all over again.
    • Rohan stayed up with me the whole night and helped me in preparing my assignment all over again.
    • It would not have been possible without his help.The next day we both submitted our assignments and got very good grades from our teacher.
    • Saying sorry cannot undo the harm, but it can definitely make you feel less bad about things.
    • My friend tried to cover up for his mistake by first saying sorry and then helping me.
    • Even today we are the best of friends.

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. Is it important to say sorry?

    Yes, it is important to say sorry, because it makes you feel less guilty and you can tell the other person that you realize your mistake and would not do such a thing in the future.

    2. In what situations do people say sorry?

    People say sorry when they do something wrong knowingly or unknowingly, and when they realize their mistake. They also say sorry when they want to clear any misunderstanding with their friend or family member.

    3. Why do some people hate to say sorry?

    Some people hate to say sorry because they have an ego and they think that they would be belittled if they say sorry. Sometimes they don’t realize their mistake. Sometimes they think that the other person is at fault and he should say sorry.

    4. In what situations should we apologize immediately?

    We should apologize immediately when we realize our mistake, or when we don’t want any misunderstanding to happen, or when we don’t want our friendship to be broken, or when we want our relationship with the other person to be even stronger. For example, in a crowded place, when we unintentionally bang into someone or when I forget to switch off my phone and it rings and disturbs the whole class, I don’t waste any time in saying sorry.

    5. When do people say thank you?

    People say thank you when someone does something for them or gives them a gift or wishes them on festivals and special occasions. People thank other people for their help or service, for example, a waiter in a restaurant, to the attendants at the fuel pumps, etc.

    6. When was the last time you found it hard to accept an apology?

    The last time I found it hard to accept an apology was when my 10 year-old cousins, damaged my laptop and I lost all my important documents. I was very dejected, but could not do anything about it. My cousin said sorry to me so many times, but I remember I did not talk to him properly for two weeks and I have never let him touch my things again.

  • 6. Describe an interesting animal

    • What it looks like
    • When you saw it
    • Where you saw it
    • Explain why it is interesting
    • India has a diverse animal life.
    • We have wild animals, domestic animals and pet animals.
    • Here, I am going to talk about an animal, which I find very interesting.
    • This animal lives in water but is not a fish
    • It is a mammal - it is the dolphin.
    • I came to know first time about this animal from the National Geographic channel.
    • In fact, this river dolphin is the national aquatic animal of India.
    • It gives birth to its young one and suckles to feed it
    • It cannot breathe under water so it has to come to the surface to breathe
    • Even the little baby has to be pushed to the surface to breathe.
    • Dolphins feed on most kinds of fish such as the snapper and the tuna.
    • Dolphins are fast swimmers.
    • They search their way through the sounds they produce, which is called echo-location.
    • The dolphins' sound waves hit an object and the echo bounces back.
    • Most dolphins are peaceful and rather shy.
    • So far humans have proven to be of greater danger to dolphins than the other way round.
    • There are marine dolphins found in oceans and river dolphins found in rivers.
    • Just like the tiger is our national animal and the peacock is our national bird, the Gangetic river dolphin is our national aquatic animal.
    • The Indian river dolphin is blind.
    • It is found in the river Ganges.
    • The female is about 9 feet long and the male about 7 feet long.
    • Unfortunately our river dolphin is on the verge of extinction.
    • But now the government has started taking steps to save it under the ‘Project Dolphin’
    • Dolphins are important for maintaining the ecosystem.
    • Recently I saw a Hindi movie Ajooba in which Amitabh Bachan is rescued by a dolphin and he considers the dolphin as his mother.
    • I came to know from that movie that dolphins are very intelligent and can be trained.
    • So this is the aquatic animal, which I find very interesting.

       Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. Why do people like to keep pets?

    Indian people like to keep pets because pets are wonderful companions. Pets, such as dogs give you unconditional love. They also provide security. Some people keep pets in their homes to teach responsibility to their children. People who suffer from depression are advised by their doctors to keep pets.

    2. What should we do to protect endangered animals?

    We should help the governments and NGOs by contributing some funds, however small they may be. We should not do hunting and poaching of animals. We should aware those who are not aware about the importance of animals and the effects their extinction can have on us.

    3. Do you support doing experiments on animals?

    I do not support experimenting on animals, because nowadays, we can do computer simulated experiments to see the effects of drugs. We should realize that animals are not humans and so any effect on them may not be there on humans. Moreover, animals are sentient beings and should not be disturbed for our selfish motives.

    4. Why do some people refuse to eat animals?

    Some people refuse to eat animals on religious grounds. Some people just don’t like unnecessary killing of animals. They feel that plant sources can also provide them enough nutrients.

    5. What would happen when some species disappear on earth?

    It would disturb the ecological chain and would affect us directly or indirectly. We would also lose out on the diversity of nature.

  • 7. Describe an article on health that you read from a magazine or online -
    • What the article was
    • What you learned from the article
    • Explain why you think it is a good or bad article
    • I have read many articles in my life.
    • Today I will talk about an article about healthy lifestyle that I read last year.
    • I read this article from the website fitness.com.
    • I was browsing through a website, when I saw the link to this article.
    • The name of the article was very eye-catching.
    • It was “Look Younger, Live Longer”.
    • I clicked on the link and it opened this article.
    • Nowadays, we all are living a sedentary lifestyle and facing many health related problems.
    • This article opened my eyes that to become healthier, it was all about making small lifestyle changes.
    • I came to know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
    • We should have a healthy and wholesome breakfast and never skip it.
    • This helps boost our immunity and also helps us go through the day with full energy.
    • I have never skipped breakfast since I’ve read this article and I can concentrate on my work and studies better.
    • I also read that we should have at least one seasonal fruit every day.
    • It also said that walking for an hour a day is as good as one hour of gym.
    • Since then, morning walk has become a part of my routine.
    • I used to dislike broccoli before I read this article.
    • However, after reading that Broccoli is a very good source of proteins and is full of nutrients, I started having it regularly.
    • I feel very fit and healthy and have rarely fallen sick since I made these small changes.
    • I have bookmarked this article and read it often.
    • I have also shared it with many of my friends and relatives.

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. Why do different people like to read different magazine?

    Different people like to read different magazines because their interests are different.

    Magazines cater to specific fields. Those who love sports read sports magazines, such as

    Sports today, those who like fashion, read fashion magazines, such as Vogue; those interested in film celebrities, read magazines like Stardust and Film Fare.

    2. What kind of magazines do teenagers like to read?

    Teenagers like to read sports and fashion magazines.

    3. What’s the difference between news on TV and news in magazines?

    The major difference is that news in magazines is the detailed news of the past week or the past fortnight or the past month depending on whether the magazine is weekly or fortnightly or monthly.

    4. Do people like to read news from the Internet?

    Young people like to read news from the Internet. They are tech savvy. They can read any newspaper from any corner of the world. E-paper is also environmentally friendly.

    5. Do people still buy magazines in your country?

    Yes, they do. Magazines cater to special fields. Those interested in sports buy sports magazines, those interested in home-making buy magazines like Women’s Era and Sarita.

    6. Do you think the people today are healthier than those in the past?

    Yes I do think people today are healthier than in the past. It is obvious from the increase in life expectancy. People are living much longer than in the past. Moreover, people have become more conscious about their health.

    7. Why do magazines have health related articles?

    Magazines mostly contain information about topics related to our lifestyle and health is one of them. Nowadays people are conscious about their health, so they like to read such articles, which in turn increase the sales of the magazines.

    8. How do people keep a healthy diet?

    People, nowadays are eating home cooked food in order to keep a healthy diet. Food cooked at home is more hygienic and nutritious. Also, people are using technology like specific mobile apps to track their diet plans

    9. What kinds of foods are considered as unhealthy?

    Fast food is considered as unhealthy because it contains lot of fat and is mostly deep fried.

    10. Do people in India usually exercise?

    Generally speaking, it depends on an individual but nowadays staying fit and healthy has become a trend. So, people like going to the gyms or yoga centres near their homes.

  • 8. Describe a person in the news that you want to meet
    • Who he or she is?
    • What did this person show up on TV for?
    • How do you know what this person?
    • Why you want to meet him?
    • In our day to day life we see film stars, sportsmen and politicians in the news.
    • Sometimes, we are so impressed by them that we want to meet them personally.
    • Here, I would like to talk about a person whom I would like to meet personally and get his autograph.
    • He is my favourite Punjabi singer,  Gurdas Maan
    • Recently, he was in the PTC Punjabi Channel news because he is coming to perform in a neighbouring village for awakening people about the menace of drug addiction
    • He is coming next month to raise some money for the rehabilitation of the youth of Punjab villages who have become drug addicts.
    • I would like to meet him and get his autograph and thank him for the commendable work he is doing for the people.
    • Actually Gurdas Mann is my favourite singer.
    • He is a multifaceted personality.
    • He is a singer, actor, director and a lyricist as well.
    • He writes the lyrics of his songs himself.
    • He has also acted in many Punjabi movies.
    • All my family members also love his songs.
    • When we go out anywhere together we play his songs in the car.
    • All his songs have messages.
    • He even performs in stage shows.
    • He always has his tambourine in his hands when he performs.
    • I love all his songs, which he has sung so far.
    • It would be a dream comes true for me if I get to meet him.

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. What type of people can be seen on TV? What are the kind of people do the news usually report about?

    Many celebrities like actors, singers, sportspersons etc. can be seen on TV. Politicians, subject matter experts, bureaucrats, etc. are also seen on TV.

    2. Do you think there is too much news about celebrities? What is your take on the news reports in recent years?

    Yes, I think that there is too much news about the celebrities these days. News channels mostly focus on unnecessary news about famous people, to increase their TRP.

    3. Do you think negative information in the news can have negative influence?

    Yes, definitely. The negative news on news channels and in newspapers has a negative influence, as people start feeling that nothing good is happening around them. It may develop a sense of insecurity and fear among people, leading to chaos and confusion too, sometimes.

    Also, people are not aware of the news about development, progress and positive events around them, as too little attention is given to such news.

    4. Why do people like negative news?

    People like negative news because they want to be aware about the wrong happenings around them. They want to be aware of such news, which helps them take precautions for their safety and security. Also, it is common to find people more interested in news about disasters, crime, terrorism, scandals, corruption, rather than in news about positive developments. I think some people like negative news more than positive news because of their pessimistic attitude.

    5. What is usually in the news in India?

    In India, news is usually about the politicians, celebrities, sports and crime. There are also discussions about social and political issues, where an expert’s panel debates. There is also news about news developments and discoveries in India and in other countries

    6. Is that information always true?

    I would say that the information given on news is mostly true, as sometimes news channels may exaggerate and sensationalize any news piece, for better TRP. People have access to many sources of information these days because of the Internet, so news channels cannot afford to telecast fake and false news.

    7. What’s the difference between broadcasting news in the past and in the present?

    There are many differences between news broadcast in the past and at present. These differences are mainly because of technological advancements. These days the news is broadcast real-time. In the past, the technology was not that advanced and there used to be a delay before we got news from other parts of the country or the world. There are a number of news channels these days from all over the world. In the past, there used to be fewer news channels, mostly dealing with the domestic news rather than international news.

    8. Do you believe everything said in the news?

    Yes, I mostly believe everything said in the news. I usually follow more than one news channel, so the news I hear on one channel can be corroborated on other channels. These days the level of   awareness of people has increased, so the news channels cannot afford to telecast fake or false news.

    9. What kinds of news are popular in India?

    Many kinds of news are popular in India, like political news, news about social issues, news about crime, news about celebrities, sports and other national and international famous people.

    10. Could superstars bring positive influence on the public?

    Yes, of course. If superstars have a good image, then they can influence positively. Many people are their fans and look upon them as role models. So, if they ask people to do something, people do so.

    For example, if they ask people to plant trees, people would definitely do so. If they ask people to abide by traffic rules, people would listen.

    11. Are the stories about celebrities in the news always true? Is the news on celebrities mostly positive?

    No, not necessarily. In fact, most news are exaggerations about their personal lives, and are just reported to increase TRP.

    12. How do you think the celebs in the news can influence adolescents?

    Celebs can influence adolescents in both positive and negative ways. If the celebs have a clean image, then what they say can influence the young people in good ways. However, if the celebs have a negative image in society, then the young people who follow them will follow their bad habits also.

    13. Are news reports on TV in India divided into domestic and international ones?

    I don’t think News are divided into domestic and international ones. However, there are different channels for domestic and international news. If any international news is very sensational and likely to affect the rest of the world, then it is surely reported along with the national news.

  • 9. Describe one time when the weather changed your plan
    • When this happened
    • Where you were
    • What kind of weather it was
    • Explain why you couldn’t finish the thing
    • What you did at the end
    • It has not happened very often when the weather changed my plan
    • But yes, I remember a time when my friends and I had planned to go to a museum,  Pushpa Gujral Science City, near my hometown, where we could not go because of heavy rainfall.
    • Last year, in our summer vacation, we planned to visit this museum.
    • This museum is at a distance of one hour from my hometown.
    • As I live near the bus stand, my friends had to assemble at my house and then we had to go to the bus stand and catch a bus for the museum
    • It was cloudy, and we could anticipate that it would rain, but we never thought it could be that bad.
    • Just as we were about to leave it started raining heavily.
    • We thought we would wait for  some time  for the rain to slow down and then we would go
    • But it started raining cats and dogs, and the rain went on for five hours at a stretch.
    • We could not go anywhere
    • My friends were also stuck at my house
    • But we made it a day to remember
    • My mother made a nice lunch and many snacks for us and we played carom board
    • Although we could not go to the museum, we had a fun time together
    • Even after the rain stopped, there was a lot of water logging on the roads and my friends could not go home till late evening.
    • So that was a day when the weather changed our plans

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. Where can people get weather reports?

    People can get weather reports through Radio, TV, through Internet and nowadays even two apps on their smart phones

    2. How do weather reports affect people’s life?

    People change their plans according to the weather reports, especially in the temporary climates, where the weather reports tend to be more accurate. In the tropical climates however, the weather reports I’m not so accurate and so people do not give much importance to them.

    3. What do people do on rainy days and sunny days?

    On rainy days people like to be indoors and enjoy special dishes such as fritters and tea.

    4. Has climate change affected your country?

    Climate change has affected each and every part of the globe, and my country is no exception. Summers have become very long and winters have shrunk. We also have hotter summers and cooler winters.

    5. Does weather affect your mood?

    When it is too hot I feel very uncomfortable and when it is too cold, I feel lethargic.

  • 10. Describe a situation you were not allowed to use your cell phone
    • Where was it
    • When was it
    • Why you were not allowed
    • What did you want to do with your cell phone
    • Cell phones have become an indispensable part of our lives
    • Today, we cannot think of a life without the cell phone.
    • There are many places, where the use of a cell phone is very disturbing.
    • For example, in religious places like temples, restaurants and hospitals.
    • Here, I would like to talk about a situation when I was not allowed to use the cell phone
    • Last month, my aunt had come from the UK to spend a few days with us and do some shopping for her daughter’s wedding.
    • We decided to go to the Golden Temple Amritsar on the weekend.
    • I remember vividly, there was a long queue to enter the main building.
    • Our turn came after one hour’s wait.
    • Just as we entered the main prayer hall, my phone started ringing.
    • Everybody turned to look at me as if I had committed a crime.
    • I had forgotten to turn my cell phone off.
    • There were notices all around that cell phones had to be turned to the silent mode before entering the hall.
    • I cut the call and immediately turned off my cell phone.
    • I felt very embarrassed.
    • There were so many people there but nobody’s cell phone was ringing.
    • After doing the circumambulation of the holy book, we came out.
    • Then we went to the community kitchen, where food is served round the clock.
    • After another one hour, we came out of the main building of the temple, and then I switched my cell phone back on.
    • There were four missed calls from my cousin
    • I called her and told her why we didn’t answer her calls
    • She understood.
    • So this was the situation when I was not allowed to use my cell phone.

    Part 3 - Follow up Questions

    1. What is the impact off the cell phone?

    I believe cell phones have both positive and negative impact on our lives.

    Due to the cell phones we have instant access to information and also because of them we can connect with our loved one’s; anywhere, anytime. But at the same time if you think about the negative impacts cell phones have also become a great cause of stress in our lives. The need to always stay connected is taking a toll on our personal lives.

    2. What is the smartphone used the most for?

    I think, nowadays the smartphones are primarily used for accessing social networking applications such as whatsapp ,  facebook and twitter etc. People also use them for Official and Entertainment purpose like checking office email or watching movies and playing games.

    3. What is your opinion about selfies?

    I believe, selfies are one of the biggest trends of our era. People are not camera shy anymore and with the advent of front facing cameras on smartphones they are taking selfies for every occasion and at every place they visit.