Random Question: 11

1. Where do you like to go to have fun?
2. What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh?
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
4. What is your all time favorite comedy movie?
5. What is your happiest childhood memory?
6. What song always makes you happy when you hear it?
7. What was your favorite sitcom growing up?
8. What favorite food puts you in a great mood?
9. Who's the funniest person you know?
10. What was the best vacation you ever had?
11. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
12. What is the first thing you notice in the opposite sex?
13. Whats your middle name?
14. How big is your bed?
15. What music are you listening to right now?
16. What are the last 4 digits in your cellphone number?
17. What was the last thing you ate?
18. Who was the last person you hugged?
19. How is the weather right now?

Random question 10

1. What is more difficult for you; looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when they are telling you how they feel?
2. Think of the last time you were REALLY angry.
3. You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You get enough time to make ONE phone call. Who would you call?
4. You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? 
5. You can have one of the following two things: trust/love. 
6. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?
7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
8. Think of the last person who you really knew that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give one year of your life. Do you?
9.  
10. Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend
11. Does love = sex?

Random Question 9: How's Your Vacation?

1. Did you have a vacation? where?
2. Did you encounter any problems during your vacation? How did you resolve them?
3. Did you have a part-time job during the holidays?
4. Did you have any bad experiences?
5. Did you meet any interesting people? Tell me about them.
6. Did you notice any cross-cultural differences during your vacation?
7. Did you study during the vacation? If so, what did you study?
8. Did you enjoy your last vacation?
9.  How do you feel after a long vacation?
10.  How many days was your vacation?
11. How much money did you spend on your last vacation?
12. How was your trip?
13. Why did you visit the place(s) you went to?
14. How did you get there?
15. Why did you choose the means of transportation that you chose?
16. How much luggage did you take?
17. Would you take the same or different equipment next time?
18. How was your vacation?
19. In what ways did you obtain real satisfaction when you were on vacation?
20. Was the place you went to very different from where you live?
21. What were the women like?
22. What were the men like?
23. Were people friendly?
24. Did you stay in a hotel?
25. What was the daily rate?
26. What historical sites did you visit and what did you learn?
27. What interesting people did you meet? Tell me about them.
28. What souvenir did you buy?
29. What was the best food you ate during your vacation?
30. What was the most enjoyable thing that you did during your vacation?
31. What was the most interesting thing that you did during the vacation?
32. What was the most interesting thing you did during the holiday?
33. Where did you go for your last vacation?
34.  Did people speak English there?
35.  Did you have any problems?
36.  Did you use a lot of English?
37.  How did you get there?
38.  How long did it take to get there?
39.  How long were you there?
40.  How much money did you spend?
41. What did you do there?
42. What did you see in each place?
43. What kind of food did you eat?
44. What souvenirs did you buy?
45. What was the activity you enjoyed the most, and why?
46. What was the weather/food/scenery like?
47. What were the people/restaurants/scenic spots like?
48. Where did you stay?
49. Where did you visit?
50. Where would you like to go next?
51. Who did you travel with?
52. Would you recommend your friends visit there, why or why not?
53. Where did you go? How long did you stay? How did you get there?
54. Where is your favorite place to go on vacation?
55. Where in the world would you most like to go for your next vacation? How do you get to sleep when you are traveling on a plane?
56. How far was it to the beaches, to the nearest town, village etc.?
57. How long did it take you to get there?
58. What sort of condition was the hotel in?
59. Did the room overlook the sea?
60. Did you have a nice view from your room?
61. Have you ever run out of money when you are on holidays?
62. Who is the most remarkable person you have ever met on holiday?
63. How would you feel if there weren't any holidays?
64. Have you ever been mugged while on vacation?
65. What is the most exotic or strangest thing you ate on holiday?
66. Have you ever thought of giving up your holiday due to unavoidable reasons?

Random Question 8: Immegration

1. Why do people immigrate to other countries?
2. What is the reason you moved out of your country to move here?
3. Is immigration from one country to another a problem? In what ways do you see it as a problem?
4. Do you know any immigrants?
5. Do you think that immigrants are treated well in in most countries?
6. Do you think there is a relation between immigration and crime?
7. Should any government limit the number of immigrants entering the country? What would be a good number?
8. Is local culture threatened by immigration?
9. How far should immigrants retain their culture?
10. Should immigrants have the same rights as native citizens?
11. Is there a difference between political and economic immigration?
12. Should immigrants have the right to vote? In which elections?
13. What should be done with the illegal immigrants entering a country?
14. Should the country of origin of illegal immigrants be held responsible?
15. Do immigrants have a good or bad reputation in your part of the country?
16. Should students be allowed to wear clothes with cultural or religious symbolism at school?
17. Do you think immigrants are treated with more suspicion now than they were a year ago?
18. Do you know anyone that is married to an immigrant?
19. Do you know any people who have emigrated from your country?
20. Would you ever think of emigrating?
21. Why would you think of emigrating?
22. What would be some of the issues that would concern you about emigrating?
23. Are there a lot of immigrants in your community?
24. Do immigrants in your community isolate themselves into a certain area?
25. Should immigrants be required to learn the local language?
26. How would you help an immigrant learn the local language?
27. How would you encourage children of immigrants to become bilinqual by maintaining the original language and becoming fluent in the local language?
28. Should immigrants be educated in their original language or the local language?
29. To what extent should official documents be written in several languages to accommodate immigrants?
30. Are immigration regulations too strict? In what way should they be changed?
31. How long should immigrants be required to live in the new country before they can become naturalized?
32. What should be the requirements for naturalization?
33. How does an immigrant become a citizen in your country?
34. How does immigration affect the economic situation in your community?
35. To what extent has the culture of your community become richer by immigrants?
36. How is your community incorporating immigrants into the life of the community?
37. 
    

    ---

Random Question 7: Internet

1.  Do you often use the Internet?
2. When did you first use the Internet?
3. About how many hours a day do you use the Internet?
4. Who uses the Internet the most in your family?
5. What computer do you use to access the Internet?
6. What are some security issues you must think about when you access the Internet?
7. Have you ever bought something using the Internet?
8. How can the internet help you learn English? Do you take advantage of this?
9. How can the Internet be improved?
10. Do you think our lives have been improved by the Internet?
11. Do you have any ideas or ambitions to start an Internet company?
12. Do you think the Internet favors men or women?
13. Do men and women use the internet for different purposes?
14. Do you use the Internet for fun or education?
15. What are some of the ways the Internet can be used for education?
16. What are some of the ways the Internet can be used for entertainment?
17. What are the sites you most commonly access?
18. What problems does the Internet create? What problems does it solve?
19. How much does it cost you?
20. Is it expensive to access the Internet by mobile phone in your country?
21. Is there too much sex on the Internet?
22. Does your family have wireless Internet access in your home?
23. Do you access the Internet from your mobile phone?
24. What type of pages do you access with your phone?
25. Do you have more many e-mail addresses?
26. Why do you need more than one e-mail address?
27. Have you ever chatted on the Internet?
28. Is it dangerous to meet people on the Internet?
29. Would you like to go on a date with someone you meet on the Internet?
30. Do you think governments have the right to censor the Internet?
31. Do you think that the Internet safe for children? Why
32. Do you think that it is important for schools to have Internet access? Why?
33. Can you believe all the information that is published (available) on the Internet?
34. Do you think that people should put photos of their friends onto the Internet?
35. Why is it a good idea to have books and magazines published on the Internet?
36. Do you think that it is a good or bad habit for young people to play computer games?
37. Why should you be careful about giving out personal information to people that you meet in chat-rooms?
38. Give me a reason why you think that email is a good way for people to communicate.
39. The Internet can help people work from home. Do you think that this is a good or bad?
40. Many disreputable companies get personal information from your computer when you visit their web site. Why is this bad?
41. Many people download MP3 music without paying any money for it. Do you think that this is a problem?
42. Would you consider going out with someone that you met on the Internet?
43. In your opinion, what is the most important feature of the Internet?
44. Do you think that meeting people is easier than meeting people face to face?
45. Are old people disadvantaged by today's usage of the Internet? How?
46. When you buy something on the Internet, trust is very important. Why?
47. Do you think that the Internet will replace Libraries?
48. Do you think that online banking (being able to do most of your banking by the Internet and ATM machines) will become popular in all countries? What is a disadvantage of this.
49. In many big cities it is possible to buy your groceries online and have them delivered to your home. Why has this become popular?
50. Why is it illegal to download movies and music from the Internet?
51. What is a computer virus and how do we protect our computers from being infected?
52. How does the Internet help people from different countries to communicate with each other?
53. Information on the Internet is linked together; it is not just single documents. Why is this important?
54. How do we stop young children from looking at Internet sites that have inappropriate content?
55. Do you think that some people spend too much time on the Internet and does this stop them from seeing their friends? Why?
56. Do you think that having Internet access is mainly for rich people? Will poor people be disadvantaged?
57. In some countries you can sell personal items on the Internet (E-Bay). Do you think this is a good idea?
58. Many Universities are now offering online courses. Give me some reasons why this is a good thing.
59. Many Universities are now offering online courses. Give me some reasons why this is a bad thing.
60. If you want reliable and good information from the Internet, then you should look for sites operated by which types of organizations?
61. Do you think that the Internet usage is an anti-social activity?
62. E-commerce (buying and selling things on the Internet) has become very popular. Give a reason for this?
63. Is it better to buy online or to go to a shop? Why?
64. Why is it very important not to give out personal information on the Internet?
65. Many sites require you to have ID's and passwords. Why do we need to keep these safe?
66. Some web sites hold very dangerous information, for example how to make a bomb. How can we control these Web sites?
67. If you give personal information to a Website do you think that they will always keep this private? Sometimes they sell this information. Is this a good or bad thing?
68. Search engine are used to find information. Do you think that they always give you the best sites or do they give you sites that pay money in order to be on the top of the list?
69. What is copyright? How do we break copyright law on the Internet?
70. Many students use the Internet to help them do their assignments and they just ¡°cut and paste¡± information from the Internet. How do we stop this?
71. We can use the Internet to find jobs overseas. Is this good or bad for both the employer and employee?
72. If you employ someone via the Internet, how do you check if the person is giving you truthful information?
73. To be current, that is to be up-to-date, is an important feature of the Internet. Why is this important and what impact is this having on society?
74. In Japan, many young men lock themselves in their bedrooms, sometimes for years, to escape the pressures of study. They refuse to see people, but they still use the Internet and mobile phones. Do you think that this will happen in other countries?
75. Is the Internet making people more impatient? Are we becoming a society were we all want instant satisfaction?
76. Many people use the Internet for fun and entertainment at work. Do you think that this is right?
77. How has the Internet changed society?

Random Questions 6: Culture

1. What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, ...
2. What do you think is interesting about your culture?
3. Do you know much about your own culture?
4. When people from other countries think about your culture, what do they usually think of?
5. In your culture is it polite to be straightforward and direct when you talk to someone?
6. To whom is it OK and to whom is it not OK?
7. What has surprised you when you've met people from other countries?
8. Have you looked at Internet pages from a different culture? If so, how were they different from those of your own culture?
9. What do you like about your culture?
10. What don't you like about your culture?
11. How do young people in your culture behave differently from older people?
12. Are there many people of different cultures in your country? Are you friends with any?
13. Have you ever felt confused by the actions of someone from another culture? If so, tell me about it.
14. How are your language teachers who are not from your country different from your other teachers?
15. How are they the same?
16. Who in your culture do you admire most?
17. What your culture are you most proud about?
18. Why do you think culture is important?
19. If you could change one thing about your culture, what would it be?
20. Would you ever consider marrying or dating someone from another culture?
21. Would you ever consider living permanently in a country other than your home country? Why or why not?
22. What does it mean to be polite in your culture?
23. What is considered rude in your culture?
24. Is there anything in this culture that is considered rude that may not be considered rude in your culture?
25. If a group of people just came to your country from overseas, what advice would you give them?
26. What other cultures have you met people from?
27. What do you think is important when visiting another culture?
28. Do you think "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" is always good advice? Why or why not?
29. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you had to "do as the Romans do"?
30. What culture besides your own do you admire and why?
31. If aliens visited your country, what might surprise them?
32. Do you pray before each meal?
33. How do you feel when you leave your home culture and enter into a completely new culture?
34. What is the best/most important thing your culture has given to the world?
35. What is the best/most important thing your culture/country has adopted from another culture?
36. If you could choose three aspects of your culture to put in a "time box" for the future, what would you put in it?
37. 
    
38. Customs

• What customs do you practice?
• What are your favorite customs?
• What customs do you think should be revised?
• What customs do you think should no longer be practice?
• What customs (from elsewhere) do you think should be included in our culture?

R andom Question 5:Conversation Questions Jobs & Occupations

1. At what age do people usually begin to work in your country?
2. At what age do people usually retire in your country?
3. At what age would you like to retire?
4. What do you think you will do after you retire?
5. Describe a typical day at your current job?
6. Describe some of the people that you work with?
7. Describe your current job.
8. Describe your first job.
9. Do women usually work after they get married in your country?
10. Do you ever work overtime?
11. If so, do you get paid more for overtime work?
12. Do you have a part-time job? If so, what do you do?
13. Do you have to attend a lot of meetings for your job?
14. Do you have to do a lot of paperwork?
15. Do you have to work overtime?
16. If so, how often?
17. Do you have to work on Sundays?
18. Do you know someone who has worked as an undertaker?
19. What is the job of a an undertaker?
20. Can women do this job or is it better for a man to be an undertaker?
21. Do you like your boss? Why or why not?
22. Do you like your job?
23. Do you like your job? Why or why not?
24. Do you think it is more important to make a lot of money or to enjoy your job?
25. Do you think it's acceptable for women to be in the military? Why/why not?
26. Do you think people over 65 should be made to retire?
27. Do you think women and men should be paid the same for the same job?
28. Do you think women are good bosses?
29. Are there women bosses in your country?
30. Do you think your company is well run?
31. Do you think that the place where you work is well run?
32. Do you work on weekends?
33. Do you work on Sundays?
34. Does your mother work?
35. Does your mother work outside of the house?
36. Have you ever been promoted?
37. Have you ever taken any courses that specifically help you with the job you are doing now?
38. Have you ever worked on a farm?
39. Did you like it?
40. Would you like to go back on this farm job?
41. If not , why?
42. How do you like your work?
43. How have working conditions changed in recent years?
44. Do you think that working conditions have improved? If so, in what ways?
45. How long do you plan to continue working where you are?
46. How long have you been working at your present job?
47. How many days a week do you work?
48. How many days a week do you work?
49. How many hours a week do you work?
50. How many times have you been promoted?
51. When was the last time you were promoted?
52. Did you get a large pay raise at that time?
53. How much do you think a doctor should be paid a month?
54. How about a secretary?
55. How about a truck driver?
56. How much money do you make? (Maybe this is not a good question to ask.)
57. How much money does a secretary get paid per week?
58. How old were you when you got your first job?
59. How well do you get along with your boss?
60. If you could own your own business, what would it be?
61. If you had to choose between a satisfying job and a well-paid one, which would you choose?
62. Is it common for men and women to have the same jobs in your country?
63. Is it easy to find a job in Canada? How about in your country?
64. Name three occupations that you could do. (For example, be a mortician)
65. Name three occupations that you could never do?
66. What are some common occupations in your country?
67. What are some common jobs for men in your country?
68. What are some common jobs for women in your country?
69. What are some jobs that children do?
70. What are some jobs that you think would be boring?
71. What are some jobs that you think would be fun?
72. What are some questions that are frequently asked in a job interview?
73. What are you responsible for?
74. What are you trying to do in order to find a job that you really like?
75. What do you do?
76. What's your job?
77. What do you like most about that job?
78. What do you think is the best job? What do you think is the worst?
79. What do you think would be the most interesting job? The most boring?
80. What does your father do? (What does your father do for a living?)
81. What does your mother do?
82. What influenced your choice of job? (Why did you choose your job?)
83. What job do you want to have in five years' time?
84. What job would you most like to have, if social/cultural boundaries did not apply? (How different are they?)
85. What job(s) do you wish to have in the future?
86. What jobs in your country are considered to be good jobs? Why?
87. What kind of volunteer work have you done?
88. What kind of work do you do?
89. What kind of work do you want to do in the future?
90. What plans have you made for your retirement?
91. What three adjectives would describe yourself as a worker?
92. What time do you get home from work?
93. Is it the same time every day?
94. What time do your start and finish work?
95. What was your first job?
96. What would be your dream job?
97. Do you think it would be possible for you to get this job?
98. What's one job you wouldn't like to do? Why not?
99. What's your brother's occupation?
100. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
101. When you were a child, what job did you want to have when you grew up?
102. Where do you work and what is your current job?
103. Where do you work?
104. Which job are you best at?
105. Which job would you never do?
106. Which jobs do you think are the most prestigious?
107. Who among the people you know has the most interesting job? What is it?
108. Why did you leave your last job - did you resign or were you sacked?
109. Would you be upset if your boss was a woman?
110. Would you consider the military as a career choice? Why or why not?
111. Would you consider yourself to be an ambitious person at work?
112. Would you describe yourself as a workaholic?
113. Would you like a job in which you traveled a lot?
114. Would you like a job that required you to sit at a computer all day?
115. Would you like to do the same job for the rest of your life?
116. Would you like to work in an office? Why or why not?
117. Would you rather be a doctor or a banker?
118. Would you rather work inside or outside?

119. ---

120. What job would you most like to do?
121. What are the names of some of the people with that job?
122. Do you personally know any one with that job?
123. How long do you plan to keep it for?
124. When do plan to retire?
125. What other fields or work will that job make you qualified for?
126. What are the work details of that job; what will be your duties at that job?
127. What steps are required from you to become a/an.......?
128. So, how long before fore you become a/an......; at what ages will you both start and finish this/each job/career?
129. What do you hope to spiritually gain from that job?
130. What do you wish to physically gain; what kind of things would you like to buy with your money?
131. How much money do you need to make to fulfill you dreams and desires?
132. If money weren't a problem for you, which job would you prefer to have?
133. How does money affect your decisions?
134. How do your wants and desires affect your career options and goals?
135. How many years of schooling would you prefer to have?
136. Can you improve on the way things are now being done in the field you choose?
137. Which college courses are needed for you to be the very best in your field?
138. Which college courses are required for you dream job?
139. What other courses do you need to take so you can pursue your hobbies and personal interests?
140. Which of the classes mentioned above are you giving the highest priority? Why?
141. Who is the breadwinner (provider) in your family?
142. Who makes the most money in your family? (This may not be a "polite" question to ask.)
143. Is it common for people from your country to have one job for life?
144. Do you see any unfair labour practices in your country's workforce?
145. Do you have an after-school job?
146. Would you like to have a management position?
147. What are the pros and cons of being a manager?
148. What are the qualities a good boss should have?
149. What is a fair wage for the skills you have?
150. Are there any jobs which can only be done by one gender?
151. If so, what are they?
152. What are some jobs that some people think only one gender can do, but can be done by either gender?
153. What should you not do during a job interview?
154. Who would you hire a employee with a lot of experience or an employee with a lot of education?
155. Have you ever worked?
156. Getting a Job
157. What is the difference between work and a job?
158. Do you have a job?
159. How did you get it?
160. Did you have to go to university to get it?
161. What is the name of your job?
162. Is it a popular job?
163. Is it a job mainly for men, or for women?
164. Did you need any special training to get your job?
165. What type of special training did you need?
166. How long and where was the training?
167. Is it an indoor, or outdoor job?
168. Which do you think most people prefer, indoor or outdoor jobs?
169. Does your job pay a good salary?
170. What are the advantages and disadvantages to your job?
171. Which do you think are some of the more demanding jobs?
172. Which are the least demanding jobs?
173. Which jobs are badly paid?
174. Which jobs are over-paid?
175. Which job are more popular than others, and why?
176. Is your job competitive?
177. What about promotions?
178. Is it too competitive?
179. How is your relationship with your co-workers?
180. Why would I choose you instead of the 50 others wanting this position?

These were submitted as possible job interview questions.

• What degrees do you have?
• How much experience do you have?
• Where have you worked?
• Why did you choose this employment?
• How much would you like to earn?
• Have you ever worked in this field?
• Where would you like to work? Why?
• Why do you find your job interesting?

Random Question 4: ART

• Are you a good painter?
• Can you draw pictures well?
• Do you believe what art critics say?
• Do you consider yourself a good artist?
• Do you enjoy your art class at school?
• Do you like modern art?
• Do you like paintings?
• Do you like sketching?
• Do you like to visit art museums?
• Do you like wood carving?
• Do you prefer using water colors or oil paint?
• Do you think it is proper to call nude paintings art?
• Do you think music and dancing are forms of art?
• Do you think of cartoons and comics as art?
• Do you visit museums when you go to another city?
• Have you ever been to any famous art museums?
• Have you ever visited an art museum?
• What art form do you like best?
• What art museums have you visited?
  
  • Which did you like the best? Why?
  • Which did you like the least? Why?
• What famous painters do you know? What are they famous for?
• What is art?
• What is the longest time that you have spend on a painting?
• What is your favorite art web site?
• What would life be like without art?
• When was the last time you went to an art museum?
• Who are some famous artists in your country?
• Who is a famous potter in your country?
• Who is the most famous artist in your country? What kind of art does he do?
• Who is your favorite painter?
• Do you enjoy taking photographs?
• What things do you like to photograph?
• Do you consider photography an art form?
• Why do artist like to draw women's figures?
• Why do you enjoy art?
• Why is art important?
• Why do people become professional artists?
• Have you ever participated in any art competitions?
• Have you ever been jealous of someone else's artwork?
• Do you find Picasso's work astonishing or weird?
• Do you have a favorite painting?
  
  • If so, what is it?
  • Why do you like it?
• Do other people ever compliment your artwork?
• Do you have a sketchbook?
  
  • If so, how often do you use it?
  • What kind of sketches do you make?
• Do you feel proud after finishing a work of art?
• Do you think graffiti is art?
  
  Do you agree with this statement? Graffitti is a form of art; a form of expressing one's mind.
• Do you like to doodle?
  
  • What kinds of doodles do you make?
  • Where and when do you doodle?
• Have you ever gone to an exhibition?
• Do you know any art galleries? Are there any in the place where you live?
• Were you interested in art when you were young?
• In your opinion, is design an important part of culture?
• Can you tell me the name of a fashion designer you know?
• Is design a great importance in your daily life?

Random Question 3: ACCIDENT at HOME

• What is the most dangerous thing in your home? How can it be made less dangerous?
• What is the most dangerous thing in your home for a child? How can it be made less dangerous?
• What is the most dangerous thing in your home for an elderly person? How can it be made less dangerous?
• What dangers can be found in the kitchen that can cause accidents?
• What can be done to prevent kitchen accidents?
• What can a parent do to childproof a kitchen?
• What dangers can be found in bathrooms that can cause accidents?
• What can be done to prevent bathroom accidents?
• What can a parent do to childproof a bathroom?
• What dangers can be found outside the home in the yard that can cause accidents?
• What can be done to prevent yard accidents?
• What can a parent do to childproof the yard?
• What other dangers can be found in a home in bedrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and living areas?
• What can be done throughout the house to prevent accidents?
• What can a parent do to childproof the different rooms of the home?
• Where at home would you put your first aid kit?
  • What would you have in it?
• Where are these items found in a house, why could they be dangerous, to whom could they be dangerous, and what could someone do to lessen the danger they present?
  • hot pan/pot
  • hot curling iron
  • knife
  • window
  • iron
  • medicines
  • gasoline
  • pool
  • insecticides
  • natural gas
  • balcony
  • toilets
  • staircase
  • stove/oven
  • stool/ladder
  • yard tools
  • fireplace
  • cellar /attic
  • bathtub
  • bad dog
  • tall pieces of furniture
  • swing set / playground
  • very clean glass sliding door
  • electronic equipment
  • cleaning supplies
  • lake/retention pond
  • loose carpet on slippery tile floor
  • glass table or sharp edged table
  • hairdryer
  • bric-a-brac
• What do you need to do if...
  • you cut your finger preparing food?
  • you fall down and can not move a limb?
  • your child drinks a poisonous liquid? (discuss syrup of ipecac)
  • the toilet is flooding the bathroom?
  • a pan on the stove is on fire?
  • a neighborneighbor's dog is growling at you?
  • our child falls off a chair and is bleeding?

Random question 2: Beauty and Physical Attractiveness

1. Who do you think is the most beautiful person in your country?
2. Who do you think is the most beautiful person alive today?
3. Who was the most beautiful person in history?
4. Who is the most attractive in your family?
5. Does beauty affect one's success in life?
6. Is it better to be physically attractive or intelligent?
7. Is it better to be physically attractive or wealthy?
8. Is beauty related to power?
9. Can you think of anyone who is in a position of power that is not physically attractive?
10. Do people spend too much time and money on beauty?
11. How much time should be spent on making yourself look better each day?
12. Who would you say is beautiful that others maybe wouldn't?
13. Do you think people should have cosmetic surgery to enhance their looks?
14. If so what is the minimum age when someone should have plastic surgery?
15. How popular is plastic surgery in your country?
16. What is the most popular feature for cosmetic alteration?
17. Do you think self-esteem affects beauty?
18. Do you think beauty affects self-esteem?
19. How important is beauty in your daily life?
20. Have you ever noticed anyone ever feeling pressured to be more beautiful?
21. What do you think of the proverb, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder?"
22. Do you have any proverbs or idioms from your country that relate to beauty?
23. What do you think "beauty is skin deep" means?
24. What are some beauty tips that you could share?
25. Do you think people with many tattoos can be beautiful?
26. How many tattoos is too many?
27. Would you ever get a tattoo?
28. Do you have a tattoo?
29. Do you think people with many piercings can be beautiful?
30. What kind of body piercing, if any, do you feel are acceptable?
31. What kind of piercing, if any, do you feel are unacceptable?
32. What personality trait is the most important for inner beauty?
33. How do you define beauty, using your own words?
34. Would you ever date someone who was not conventionally attractive?
35. What makes one person more attractive than another?
36. Do you think people from different countries than you see attractive the same way?
37. Is there someone famous that is considered beautiful, that you think is not?
38. Are beauty pageants good or bad?
39. Should children be entered into beauty pageants?
40. Do you think one gender or group worries more about beauty than another?
41. Would you want your children to be beautiful or talented?
42. What are some of the negatives about being beautiful?
43. What are some examples of social pressures to improve on natural beauty?For example, lipstick, haircutting, shaving, ...

What do you think about plastic surgery?

• Would you ever have plastic surgery?
• If so, what would you change?

Random Question 1: Global Warming

1.) What do you know about global warming?
2.) Do you think such phenomenon is real?
3.) What are the possible effects of global warming?
4.) What will happened to us if this problem cannot be solve?
5.) What are the effects of global warming to living things like humans, animals and plants?
7.) Can you suggest some solutions to stop global warming?
8.) Cite some examples of recent natural calamities which can be considered as cause by global warming.
9.) What is the worst case scenario if this cannot be prevented?
10.) Are you afraid that this phenomenon will come earlier than expected?
11.) What do you think can the government do in order to solve global warming?
12.) Are you in favor of phasing out automobile that use gasoline and diesel?Explain your answer.

Major Hospitals Overcharge Foreigners

C8: Korea's major hospitals charge foreigners, especially medical tourists, 2.5 to 3 times more than locals but these hospitals say the pricing is globally competitive because of the nation's high quality medical services.

However, critics say the dual and discriminatory pricing policy will ultimately scare away foreign patients, jeopardizing the plan to make the medical tourism industry one of the nation's main growth engines. 

To find out the extent of price discrimination, The Korea Times conducted an investigation into major hospitals in Korea. 

First, the paper made inquiries on leading hospitals in Seoul about the initial consultation fee which is not covered by the National Health Insurance.

Two-Tier Pricing 

When asked in fluent Korean, they answered the fee is set at 16,450 won ($14.30) whether the patient is insured or not, saying it can be stretched up to 21,950 won if the patient chooses to see a preferred specialist. 

They added that the first check-up at tertiary hospitals is not covered by health care. 

However, when disguised as an uninsured foreigner, many of the hospitals demanded much higher fees irrespective of the choice of doctors. 

Samsung Medical Center in Gangnam said the initial consultation fee was fixed at 70,000 won; the Severance Hospital in Sinchon was slightly lower at 62,000 won; while Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital (SCHUH) in Yongsan charged 35,000 won. 

Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) in Jongno answered it would cost either 36,000 won for a general consultation or 46,000 won to pick a physician with more than 10 years of experience as a specialist. 

Medical Fees Rising

During the investigation, many hospital and government officials admitted that a two-tier pricing system has emerged with the advent of medical tourism in Korea, where only non-profit hospitals are allowed to operate under a universal health care system. 

Previously, uninsured foreigners were charged the same rate Korean nationals without insurance would pay, but now many foreigners pay much more - roughly two to three times the standard fee.

Noh Jung-woo, chief administration officer of SCHUH, says his hospital charges foreigners roughly 1.5 times or slightly more. 

"Foreigners pay more because we run an international clinic within the hospital to meet their demand for a longer consultation, and interpretation services," Noh said. 

Officials of other major hospitals also acknowledged that their hospitals have set higher fees for foreigners. 

Inha University Hospital set the so-called international rate at 2.2 times the stated fee for locals as did Severance Hospital. Konkuk University and Korea University medical center charge 2.5 times; and Cheongshim International and Hanyang University medical centers, and Wooridul Hospital, three times or more the rate for Korean nationals. 

The JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported in December that the Wooridul Hospital charges seven times more than the standard rate for Japanese patients. 

"Japanese patients pay 20 to 25 million won here for an operation," Lee Sang-ho, chairman of the renowned spinal hospital, was quoted as saying. "We will charge foreign patients more to give benefits to Koreans." 

Legal Issues 

Hospital officials said the international rate is a new term that does not exist in law and is often referred to as the self-regulated rate. 

Only a few hospitals, including Severance and SCHUH, reported the existence of the discriminatory fees to the authorities last year, according to government sources. 

All hospitals in Seoul's posh district of Gangnam, including the Samsung Medical Center and Wooridul Hospital, failed to report the two-tier pricing scheme, according to Lee Kyung-hee, an official of the Gangnam Community Health Center. 

Under medical law, hospitals face a temporary closure when caught twice over negligence to report the fee list for medical services not covered by national healthcare. 

However, the majority of hospitals claim that foreigners are not subject to the Medical Law. And if their argument is correct, foreigners cannot be protected from malpractice and other legal risks. 

Expert say that two-tier pricing may also violate the Fair Trade Law, which stipulates that unfair or discriminatory deals can be punished by a fine of up to 2 percent of the gross sales. 

However, Jung Eun-young, a senior policy official at the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, refuted this, saying that legislators revised the Medical Law last May with the clear intent to introduce a two-tier system. 

"There was mutual understanding last year that the government needs to deregulate the pricing of medical services for foreigners with the aim of building the medical tourism industry as one of the nation's growth drivers," Jung said. 

Under the revised law, hospitals are allowed to directly market medical services to foreign patients, and are obliged to notify the list of fees for medical treatments not covered by insurance through a booklet and Web site from Feb. 1. 

Yet, most of the 1,500 hospitals licensed to host medical tourists are reluctant to make such a list available to foreigners. 

Excuses for Higher Fees

Moon Joo-young, head of SNUH's international business team, is also well aware that the two-tier pricing scheme has become a norm in the heavily regulated industry. 

He believes a discriminatory fee will be inevitable to give a boost to the newly fledging medical tourism industry. 

"Medical tourists pay roughly twice compared to locals at SNUH given that the new investment has been made for foreign tourists, including new multi-lingual booklets and the international clinic," Moon said. 

"It should be noted that no hospitals will attract foreign patients under a single-tier fee system, as they are already inundated with local patients," he claimed.

According to the OECD Health Data for 2009, the number of doctors per 1,000 people in Korea was 1.7 in 2007, the second lowest among OECD countries after Turkey and well below the OECD average of 3.1.

Moon said he believes Korean hospitals, which have demonstrated excellent outcomes in regards to serious illnesses, should compete with their quality of care in the global market, rather than with lower prices.

"Foreign patients pay slightly more at SNUH compared to other rival hospitals in South East Asia, but the number of non-Korean patients is constantly increasing thanks to advanced medical technologies and expertise," he said. 

Lee Ho-young, marketing director of the Global Healthcare Business Center, estimates that Korean hospitals charge foreigners roughly 1.5 times to twice the rate for Koreans, considerably lower than the paper's survey results. 

He claims that the dual pricing mechanism is not unethical because most medical tourists carefully compare the price of hospitals abroad before choosing the one that best meets their budget. 

"Hospitals should be compensated for their extra efforts to attract and treat foreign patients, such as marketing campaigns, catering customized meals and hiring interpreters," Lee said.

"What concerns patients who shop for the best health care is not how much more they have to pay compared to locals, but how good the product is compared to the ones offered by other hospitals worldwide."

Fear of Second-Class Care

Some fear that medical tourism is a prelude to introduce for-profit hospitals and will result in better care for the rich who want better quality or faster access. 

An official of Severance Hospital told the paper that the nation's first Joint Commission International-accredited hospital is already allowing queue jumping to medical tourists, making the waiting time longer for local patients. 

According to the World Health Organization, medical tourism may facilitate access to high-level services for the better off. But it warns that this may eventually divert human resources from public services to more profitable private services for the elite in foreign markets. 

Discussion:
1.) Do you think health services for both foreign and and local people is fair.
2.) Is it just that foreigners pay large amount of hospital bills?
3.) Does the idea of giving people a health insurance is good for the people?
4.) Is it right that hospitals should focus only on profit and forget their social responsibilities.
5.) How do you asses the performance of hospitals in your country?