English language

TOPICS and SAMPLE QUESTIONS for the ORAL EXAM in ENGLISH (B2)

Handbook: OUTCOMES Upper-intermediate

I. Free time, Sports and Interests (units 1+5)

1. What genres of films, books or music are you particularly into? Which do you dislike?
2. Do you think reading stories to children is a good idea? Who read stories to you when you were a child? - what stories were they? Will you read stories to your children?
3. How important is sport and physical activity in human life?
4. What is your idea of spending free time when you have money and when you have not?
   

II. Transport, Travel and Sightseeing (units 2+11)

1. When sightseeing a foreign city, which places or aspects of the city interest you the most/the least?
2. When going for a trip, what sort of preparations are the most important for you? The packing, doing research about the visited place, booking accommodation or travel tickets, or other things?
3. What possible transport problems do you find most annoying?
4. What is the ideal means of transport to go on holiday/ to commute to work or school/ to move around the city?
   

III. Society and the Law (units 4+8)

1. What is your opinion of the present state of your country – its economy, government policies, and social institutions?
2. What are the 3 most worrying social issues in the world today?
3. What kind of criminal activities are the biggest problems in your country/in the world today?
4. What should societies or governments do in order to bring down crime rates?
   

IV. Accommodation and Home Life (units 3+6)

1. Name 5 tools you have at home and describe when you need to use them.
2. What kind of domestic repairs can you do all by yourself?
3. What was the worst/the most amazing place you had ever lived in?
4. When did you last experience culture shock and had to adapt to new ways of doing things?
   

V. Nature and Weather (unit 7)

1. What sort of extreme weather have you experienced personally? How bad was it?
2. What are the most appalling examples of people mistreating animals that you have ever witnessed or heard of?
3. How important are plants/animals in your own life?
4. Have you ever heard of or participated in charity activities to protect animals or plants?
   

VI. Working Life and Business (units 9+16)

1. How do you imagine the ideal development of your career? What steps should it follow?
2. What was the first job you ever did in your life? What did you have to do? Did you earn much?
3. Have you ever had to give a speech or a presentation? What was the occasion and the topic? How did it go?
4. Would you like to run your own business in the future? What are the best and the worst things about being an entrepreneur?
   

VII. Life Rituals and Socialising (units 10+13)

1. What kind of life-changing events have the biggest impact on the course of people’s lives?
2. What life rituals and ceremonies are present in your family? What events do you celebrate?
3. What is the best/worst celebrating tradition in your country?
4. Have you ever committed a silly mistake – a gaffe – or done anything embarrassing in public? What did you do/say/write?
   

VIII. Health and Medicine (unit 12)

1. Do you personally know anyone who has a serious health problem? What kind of treatment do they have to undergo?
2. What are your observations /experience on health service in your country?
3. What should hospital conditions and surroundings be like in order to help sick people get well sooner?
4. In what ways do you care about your own health? How often do you have medical/dental checks? What other things do you do because you believe they keep off health problems?
   

IX. Money (unit 9)

1. What types of possible financial problems can you name and explain? Which have you experienced personally?
2. What proverbs, sayings, famous quotes or songs about money do you know? How do you understand them? Do you believe they are true?
3. How often are you tempted to gamble in a lottery? Do you think lotteries should be banned? Why?/Why not?
4. If you won an incredible amount of money in a lottery, how would your life change?
   

X. Food and Cooking (unit 10)

1. Are you any good at cooking? What dishes can you cook by yourself? What is the recipe for your favourite dish?
2. What was the best/ worst thing you have ever eaten? What/Where/When was it?
3. What dish, food flavour or cooking smell reminds you of your childhood/ brings a pleasant memory?
4. What global food problems can you name? Which of them do you think could be prevented?