以下为按课堂已讲方向整理的课后复习改进版;答案内容只使用逐字稿中出现过的素材和老师课堂引导,不加入新的立场或新材料。
Describe a short-term job you would like to do in a foreign country.
I would like to do a short-term job as an environmental protection volunteer in a foreign country.
I think it is a simple but meaningful choice. First, it would give me a chance to travel abroad and see natural landscapes, such as mountains, glaciers, different plants and maybe even wild animals. I especially like wild animals, but I do not usually have the chance to see them in real life.
Second, this kind of work is usually done in a group, so I could meet people from different countries who also care about the environment. I could make friends with them and practise my English in real conversations.
Another reason is that I have taken some environmental protection courses at university. If I do this job, I can use what I learned in school in the real world. It would not just stay in books.
So for me, this job is not only about making money. It is also about gaining field experience and doing something useful for environmental protection.
What are the benefits of working abroad for a short period to young people?
Young people can learn to be independent. They need to live by themselves, cook, clean the house, deal with chores and learn how to budget. It is also a good chance to practise a foreign language, because they have to talk to real people, not just learn from books. They may also need to deal with different kinds of people, like a landlord, so the experience can be challenging but useful.
What are the major cultural shocks people face when working in another country?
The first one is the language barrier. People need to use the language to communicate in real life, not just study it from books. Another cultural shock is the different communication style. For example, Chinese people tend to express complex feelings in indirect ways, whereas Americans may prefer to get straight to the point. Food can also be a problem. For example, a Chinese person going to Japan may need to get used to raw fish. Prices can also be shocking, because people may find some things much more expensive than they expected.
Describe a time when you saw a lot of litter in a natural place.
I remember one time when I went back to the place where I lived as a child with my mom. We just wanted to take a look and see what had changed.
In my memory, there was a small river near our old home. When I was little, the river was very clear, and in summer we could play in the water. But when we went back that time, I found that almost nobody lived there anymore, and the river had almost dried up.
What made me feel worse was that there was a lot of litter in the river. There were bottles, plastic packages, leftover food and even some children's toys. The water was also very dirty.
I felt very sad because the place used to be beautiful in my memory. It was not just about the litter. It also felt like a part of my childhood had changed completely.
Why is plastic pollution still a major issue?
I think there are several reasons. First, plastic is very hard to decompose. It can take more than one hundred years for plastic to decompose, so plastic garbage has been accumulating for decades. Even if people are aware of plastic pollution now, the pollution from the past is still there. Another reason is that plastic is very convenient and cheap, so many companies and individuals still use it to package products or carry groceries. Also, microplastic in the ocean is a big problem. Fish may eat microplastics, and then they can get into the human body.
How can local communities better organize clean-up campaigns?
Local communities can do three things. First, they should promote the campaign through different channels, such as posters, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets and social media. Second, they can give small rewards to people who join, such as pens, caps, T-shirts or canvas bags. Third, they should make the activity convenient. For example, they can choose a convenient time, like on the weekend, and provide transportation, so more people are willing to take part.
Describe a challenging technical problem you faced.
A challenging technical problem I faced was using an old computer for a whole semester. My mom gave me her old computer, and I had to live with it for a long time.
The biggest problem was that it was extremely slow. It took about two minutes to load a page or open a Word document. There was also not much hard drive space, so before I downloaded anything, I had to delete something first.
Another problem was that the model was outdated, so it was incompatible with many new apps. The ports were also outdated, so I needed to use a converter to plug in some of my devices.
It was also bulky and hard to carry. The screen was small and dim, and the text was tiny, so I had to stare at the screen. The battery only lasted for about two hours, so I had to carry the charger with me all the time. The charger was big and got very hot, so sometimes I even worried that it would explode in the classroom.
The fan was also very loud. Sometimes it suddenly started screaming in the middle of class, and it was embarrassing because people stared at me. One of the keys also got stuck, so sometimes when I hit it once, it gave me twenty letters.
Actually, there was no real way for me to solve it other than buying a new one. I just had to endure it, and it was horrible.
How can AI help in our life?
AI can help us in various ways. For students, it can be used as a learning aide. For example, we can upload our course materials, and it can explain them in detail. We can keep asking questions without worrying that it will get mad at us. It is like a teacher with infinite patience. It can also give us questions, so we can check whether we understand the material or not. For employees who need to deal with paperwork, AI can process a lot of numbers and data, so it can save time from repetitive work. In daily life, it can also help. For example, if I do not know what to eat at night, I can take a picture of what is in my fridge, and it can tell me how to make a dish. It can also help make travel plans or even book a ticket.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of AI?
The advantage is that AI can help people in many areas, including study, work and daily life. It can explain materials, process data and save time from repetitive work. But there are also disadvantages. The most important problem is that it can make mistakes. Even if it finishes the work for you, you still need to double-check to make sure there is no made-up information. Another problem is that it sounds very confident, so it can be harder for people to tell what is made up and what is true. It may also hurt real relationships, because people can get quick answers from AI and then lose patience when waiting for real humans to think. It can also become more expensive, and if you suddenly lose access to your model, it can be disastrous.
Should children learn to use AI?
Yes, they should. AI is becoming more and more common in daily life, so children need to learn how to use it as early as possible. If they do not learn to use it, they may be outcompeted in the future, because their productivity may not match people who can use these tools. Also, learning about AI can help children avoid scams. There are more and more scams using AI technology, such as fake videos. If children know something about AI, they may be better able to tell whether something is real or fake.
Describe a time you worked in a group.
I can talk about a time when I helped organize a reading club.
At the beginning, we made a plan together and divided the work. Some people were responsible for promotion, and some people helped decide the topic and book the classroom. We needed to communicate with each other because everyone had a different task.
It was not always easy, because group work takes time and effort. We had to coordinate our schedules, make sure the information was clear and prepare the activity step by step.
In the end, the reading club went well. Everyone had a role, and we finished the activity together. I think it was a useful experience because it helped me practise communication and cooperation.
How can you tell if a person is a good leader?
A good leader must be a good communicator and a good listener. They need to communicate with different people, coordinate employees' work and give tasks to team members. They may also need to talk to customers, tell a story about their product and make people trust them. A good leader also needs to listen and observe, because they need to know what each member is good at and give them suitable work. Finally, a good leader has to be a role model. If they cannot do what they ask others to do, they may lose people's trust.
Should students learn to do group work?
Yes, they should. Most people need to join the workforce and work with others when they grow up, so students should be prepared for that. Group work can help students practise communication, coordination and cooperation. It can also teach them how to deal with conflicts. These skills are useful not only in school, but also in future work.
What group tasks are there in schools?
There are many group tasks in schools. In class, students may have group assignments or group projects. For example, they may need to make a plan, collect data, make slides and give a class presentation together. Outside class, students may also organize activities, such as a reading club. Sometimes volunteer work, cleaning activities, sports teams or bands can also be group tasks.
Why do some people prefer to work by themselves?
Some people prefer to work by themselves because they are not good at communicating with others, and working with people may make them feel stressed. Also, communication and coordination can take a lot of effort and time. Some people may think it is a waste of time, and they can use that time to work alone. Group work can also be draining, especially if there are free loaders who do nothing. Finally, some kinds of work are very personal, such as writing a poem or painting a picture, so it is hard to do them in a group.
Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member.
I felt proud of my younger brother when he organized a reading club by himself.
He made a plan, invited people and prepared the activity. He also asked me to sit in and watch the reading club. At first, I thought it might be difficult for him, because organizing an activity means he had to talk to different people and make sure everything went well.
But during the reading club, he did a good job. He shared his ideas confidently and helped the activity move forward. I could see that he had put effort into it.
I felt proud because he was not just joining an activity. He was actually organizing it and taking responsibility. It showed me that he had become more confident and independent.
What do you think about children working hard just for grades?
I think it is inevitable in our society, because many things are related to grades. Many parents judge their children according to their grades, and many teachers also emphasize grades in class, so it is hard for children not to think about grades. But I do not think it is healthy in the long term. When people grow up, not everything can be quantified or decided by a simple grade. After leaving school, people stop grading you, and you eventually start grading yourself. So you need a purpose and a value system. If there is no purpose or goal, you may lose your way.
On what occasions would adults be proud of themselves?
Adults may feel proud of themselves in two kinds of situations. The first is when they achieve something at work, such as accomplishing a difficult task, getting a promotion, getting a raise or receiving a bonus. The second is in their personal life. For example, they may feel proud when they provide for their family and give their children food, shelter, safety and emotional support. They may also feel proud when they become a good role model for their kids, pick up an old hobby from childhood or plan something for the community.
Do rewards help a child become better?
Rewards can help children become better in the short term. For example, some parents may buy gifts or give cash to their children if they get good grades. This can motivate children for a short time. But if parents always use external motivation, children may lose their internal motivation. As soon as the reward stops, their effort stops as well. Internal motivation comes from within, and it lasts much longer. So if we really want children to become better, we need to help them find their own purpose and let them know that they are not doing things just for money or gifts.
Describe a time when you got up early.
I am really not the kind of person who enjoys waking up early, because I usually stay up late. But there was one time when my flight was canceled, and I was forced to find a hotel.
I did not know much about the hotel, but I saw online that it offered a free breakfast buffet. I was very tired, but I still looked forward to the breakfast, so I set a lot of alarms, about every five minutes from seven to eight in the morning, because I did not want to miss it.
When I finally struggled to get up, took a quick shower and rushed to the cafeteria, I was very disappointed. The coffee tasted awful. The noodles were cold. The cake was dry and tasteless, and some dishes were not even there.
But since I was already there, I thought I might as well eat something. So I ate the breakfast while feeling sleepy and disappointed. It was really not worth it.
Do you know anyone who likes to get up early?
Yes, my mom likes getting up early. I cannot really understand it, but she says it makes her feel more energetic.
Why does your mom like getting up early?
She likes it because she can take her time to do everything. For example, she can make a cup of coffee, take a shower, make a good breakfast and water the plants. When she is not in a hurry, she is in a better mood and she does not forget things.
Why do some people like to stay up late?
Some people like to stay up late because there are fewer distractions at night. Everybody is asleep, and it is quiet outside. Nobody annoys them by sending messages, and there is not much news or social media to check. For some people, nighttime feels like stolen time, and they can do what they want. The quiet environment also helps them concentrate and get into the flow of their work.
What kind of people like getting up early?
People who are very health-conscious may like getting up early. They may think breakfast is important, so they get up early to make a good breakfast and enjoy it. Some of them also want to exercise in the morning, such as doing morning yoga or running in the park, because the air is fresh and it is nice and cool. Some people get up early because they want to beat the traffic and avoid crowds on the subway. Also, some people's livelihood depends on it. For example, if someone has a bakery, they may need to get up at three or four o'clock in the morning and start their day early.