Questions

1. What do you do for fun?

2. Given the choice of “Here” or “There,” which do you choose?
3. Are you a home body or couch potato, or do you prefer going places frequently
and traveling?
4. If given the choice to stay at home and relax or go out on a busy day in crowds of
people on your day off, which will you choose?
5. When people ask you, “So, where do you want to go?” or “What do you want to
do?” what comes to mind?
6. What do you think about amusement parks? Do you like amusement parks?
Which rides do you or would you like most: roller coasters, bumper
cars/bumper boats, Ferris wheels, house of mirrors, fun houses, drop towers,
log ride, teacups, swing rides, dark rides/rides in the dark, kiddie rides, etc.?
7. What kind of theme do you like at theme parks: water parks, Seaworld, fairyland,
comics book or superhero themes (i.e., Batman or Superman), world of adventures,
mazes, futuristic, cultural themes, miniature golf,
8. Is it worth waiting in line for an hour or more to go on a five minute ride?
9. Many people say that life is like a rollercoaster, do you agree of disagree? Do
you think life is like a ride?

Life is too short, enjoy the ride.”

Crossword Puzzle Slingshot Tug-Of-War
纵横字谜 弹弓 拔河

Frisbee Hide-And-Seek Poker

飞盘 捉迷藏 扑克

Jigsaw Puzzle Dominoes Mahjong

拼图 多米诺骨牌 麻将

Backgammon Chinese Chess Chess

西洋双陆棋 象棋 国际象棋

Tic-Tac-Toe Draughts Maze

井字棋 国际跳棋 迷宫

Yo-Yo Hopscotch Sudoku

溜溜球 跳房子 数独
 ：
Questions：
1. What is the most annoying thing for you? How do you usually respond?
respond
2. What does pet peeve mean? What is your pet peeve?
3. What is your biggest fashion pet peeve?
peeve If there were fashion police,
police
would you want to help people look more fashionable? What do you
think about:
o Baggy pants;
pants; socks and sandals;
sandals; High water pants
o Jeans with holes (holy
holy jeans)
jeans
4. What is more annoying, being told how to dress, or seeing people
dress badly?
5. What annoying habits does your best friend have?
6. What is something that your parents do that annoys you?
7. Can you think of some things children do that annoy adults?
8. Do you annoy people with some of your habits?
9. How do you change annoying habits?
10. Can annoying someone be a good thing?
11. Which of the following items are the most annoying:
o Bad driving
o Kissing in public
o Loud repetitive noises
o Babies crying or screaming
o Someone with bad body odor, bad breath, or poor hygiene
o Someone with a poor sense of style/fashion
o Someone who begs for money but has a healthy body
o Bad manners
man ners (at the table, in public, etc.)

Picking nose

Blowing nose at table

Coughing and not covering one’s mouth

Not washing hands after using restroom
o Being told to do something by your spouse or parents.
o When someone cuts in front of you while you are waiting in
line.
line
o Someone taking a phone call in class or a meeting.
o Someone smoking
o Someone standing too close to you or touching you (i.e., on
the bus)
o Someone leaving the lights, television, or computer on when
not in use.
o Someone talking too much/not talking
enough (silent)
12. Other Annoying things (continued)
o People who read out loud what they're typing in an email or letter.
o Kids who tease dogs through a fence.
o People who drink directly out of the milk/orange juice container.
o Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one
on the other side.
o People walking around in ridiculous 'fashionable' shoes that are
clearly hurting their feet.
o Whenever anyone says "Ya know what I'm sayin"...
o Using speaker phones in public areas at work.
o People who are mean to animals.
o When a person makes a sucking noise with a straw when the cup
becomes almost empty.
o People that snoop.
o People who push alcohol at social functions.
o Tapping fingers
o Dirty dishes in the sink.
o People who clear their throats in a disgusting way.
o People who invite you out somewhere then cancel.
o When you can't tell if someone is male or female.
o People who talk, whistle or sing to themselves at work.
o When people say "What's up?" instead of saying "hi or hello".
o People who write "Keep in touch!" in your yearbook but never talk to
you again.
o Movie sequels that are unnecessary and predictable or stupid
movies.
o When you will be talking to someone, and their replies seem to be
limited to "ya", "cool", and "ok".
o People who can't complete a sentence without saying "you know".
o Present from your pets (such as dead birds, rats, or mice, or going
poop or pee on the floor/carpet)
1. What is anticipation (qīdài 期待)?
2. Recently, what have you been waiting for?
3. What do you look forward to or long for (pànwàng zuò mǒushì 盼望做某事)?
4. Do you think waiting for things is good, or would you rather have a world in which you get what
you want when you want it?
5. Does anticipation tend to cause you pleasure (lèshì 乐事), excitement (xīngfèn 兴奋), anxiety
(dān xīn, 担心 yōulǜ 忧虑), or irritation (nǎonù 恼怒)? In what cases might you feel pleasure,
anxiety, or irritation? For example:
a. An approaching school test
b. An upcoming television show or movie
c. Going to a special place (an amusement park [yóulèchǎng 游乐场], a restaurant, etc.)
d. Calling or emailing someone you like or someone you fear (i.e., calling a boy a girl you
like or calling your boss or for a new job).
e. Waiting for good or bad news (news about a job, sick person, something you want to
buy or sell)
f. Experiencing stage fright (chùchǎng 怵场, qièchǎng 怯场)while waiting to perform or
give a speech to many people.
g. An approaching birth or death.
h. Waiting in bumper to bumper traffic ([qì chē] yí liàng jiē yí liàng de（汽车）一辆接一
辆的)or a long line or queue (chánglóng 长龙, rénlóng 人龙, duì 队)
i. Waiting for the doctor or dentist
6. With a partner discuss a time you have experienced one or more of the above situations and
how you dealt with it or handled it? (chǔlǐ处理)
7. Do you find that you have tense nerves (shén jīng jǐn zhāng de 神经紧张的), become antsy
(zuò lì bù ān 坐立不安), jittery (神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的,抖动着), fidgety (fán zào 烦躁, bù'ān
不安), nervous, (jǐn zhāng 紧张), anxious, and irritated (nǎo nù 恼怒), or do you remain calm
(zhèn jìng 镇静), patient (nàixīn de 耐心的), and relaxed (fàngsōng de 放松的)?
8. Do you have more trouble making calls or waiting for calls?
9. Do you dislike television shows that make you wait a week for a show that is only 45 minutes?
10. Will/do you wait for a boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife, or will/do you go and find one?
11. If you are expecting someone and they don’t show, what will you do?
12. Are you waiting on the world to change, or do you try to change the world?
 ARE YOU SAFE?
1. Are you the kind of person who plays it safe and feels it is better to be safe than
sorry, or do you enjoy taking risks and learning from your mistakes? For
example, “Just to be on the safe side, we checked the tires of the car again.”
2. What do you do to ensure your safety or safeguard against accidents and
problems? Consider the following:
a) Bicycle safety (e.g., wears a bicycle helmet, have reflectors on your bicycle
so you can be seen at night, use hand signals when turning, don’t allow
others to sit on your bike
b) Air safety (e.g., use of air traffic controllers, inspection of airplane, sit in seat
when plane is taking off and landing.)
c) Traffic and Road safety (e.g., drive within the speed limit, honk your
horn, wear your seat belt)
d) Child safety (e.g., toy safety, child safety seat, keep small things
and plastic bags out of reach so children won’t choke or
suffocate, etc.)
e) Pedestrian safety (e.g., only cross the street when the light is
green, look both ways).
f) Workplace safety (wear protective clothing, gloves, goggles, hardhat;
know about dangerous chemicals; use caution signs.)
g) Home safety (e.g., lock on your door, bars on your windows, alarm system)
3. Have you experienced an accident or problem with any of the above because you
were not being cautious?
4. If it is late out at night, will you go out? Why or why not? What precautions can
you take if you must go out? (e.g., safety in numbers – don’t go alone).
5. If you meet with a thief, will you confront them or do nothing?
6. Have you ever experienced something dangerous, but came out of it safe and
sound.
7. Do you have a safety net of money, resources, or friends for hard times? Which of
the three is most important for you? Talk about a time you turned or would turn to
your safety net.
8. “Your secret is safe with me.” Do you have someone you feel safe telling your
secrets to?
9. Where do you feel the safest? What makes you feel safe? (e.g., did you ever have
a security blanket?)
10. Describe a time in which you felt you were in good hands or safe hands. (e.g.,
you start a new job and the most trusted employee shows you the ropes).
1. Are you a cautious person? Do you prefer to err on the side of caution (i.e., do what is
safest instead of taking a risk) and be safe than sorry?
2. Do you think twice before you do something? Do you double check yourself?
3. Describe situations in which you are cautious. For instance:
a) Checking doors several times to make sure they are locked.
b) Walking slowly in the rain.
c) Carrying an umbrella even if it probably won’t rain.
d) Calling friends and family when you arrive somewhere.
e) Wearing your bag or purse in front of you.
f) Wearing a face mask to avoid getting sick.
4. Describe a time you took a risk and threw caution to the wind. If you haven’t would you
ever:
a) Do an extreme sport like sky diving, river rafting, surfing?
b) Withdraw money late at night?
c) Drink more alcohol (wine, beer, or spirits) than usual?
d) Spend more money than usual? (what is the occasion?)
e) Tell someone you like them (i.e., to be boyfriend or girlfriend)
at the risk of losing their friendship?
5. If you think your friend, brother or sister is dating somebody they
shouldn’t would you caution them or warn them about that
person? Do you think you should interfere?
6. Describe a time you took a shortcut and later regretted it.
7. When do you think taking shortcuts is a good idea?
8. Do you pay attention to the things around you, or do you
always get in accidents? Describe a time you had an
accident.
a) Do you bump into things?
b) Do you trip over things?
c) Do you forget things?
d) Other______________.
9. Did you learn your lesson, or do you continue to make the same mistake or accident?
10. Do you think some people are accident prone? (i.e., more likely to have or get into accidents)
Why?
Questions for conversation:
1. What is your favorite bird? Have you ever had a bird as a pet? Are you a bird watcher?
2. Do you like mimicking birds, such as the parrot that says, “Polly want a cracker!”
3. What is a bird of prey? What are domesticated birds? What are wild birds?
4. What birds are good for eating? What birds would you never eat? Why? Would you eat
pigeon? Quail? Crow? Etc.
5. Do you think it is sad to see a caged bird, preferring that they fly freely, or do you
advocate/support/agree with keeping birds? Do you like bird feeders?
6. Would you ever consider breeding birds as a form of income or for food?
7. Are you aware of bird control problems? For instance, in America, birds like pigeons are
pests that make a mess (waste, poop) all over people’s property. Do you have this problem in
China? Should Americans eat pigeons?
8. In America there are people termed, “Pigeon Man/Woman,” because they feed the pigeons
and let them perch on them. Others raise homing pigeons. What do you think of this?
9. What do you think about bird’s rights activists? Should birds be hunted and killed?
10. Have you heard about the Avian Bird Flu?
11. In what ways are birds important to our ecosystem? What are some urban birds?

Idioms
The early bird catches the worm; birds of a feather flock together; kill two birds with one stone; a
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; a bird’s eye view; the bird has flown the coop
Boredom
Questions:
1. What is boredom?
2. What makes you bored? Why do people get bored?
3. What creates boredom: Not enough choices, too many choices? School? Work? Routine Tasks
and monotony? Too much leisure time and entertainment? Uninspired? Unsatisfied?
4. Describe a time in which you were extremely bored out of your mind?
5. What are some fun things to do when you are bored to death/bored stiff?
6. Have you ever made a prank phone call when you were bored silly?
7. What are some stupid things you have done or can do when you are bored? (Examples below)
a) Surf the internet aimlessly.
b) Chat on the internet or phone about nothing (small talk & gossip)
c) Burn things with a magnifying glass
d) Play useless games on the internet or QQ (i.e. the owning people game), send/reply to
chain letters.
e) Spend hours and hours of your life leveling up your power on a videogame.
f) Try to learn another accent or strange sound.
g) Pick a random word and say it aloud to yourself until it becomes a meaningless set of
noises.
h) Rate passers by / People watch.
i) Stare at the back of someone's head until they turn around.
j) If you are right handed do things with your left hand and vice versa.
k) Twiddle your fingers.
8. What can you do to pass the time? What are some worthwhile cures for boredom?
9. Have you ever been in a slump, and always felt bored? How do you cheer up and find
meaning and purpose in life to keep things creative, energetic, and inspired?
10. Some Boredom Idioms:
a) Bore someone stiff and bore someone to death; bore someone to tears
b) Bore the pants off of someone
c) Bored silly and bored to distraction; bored stiff; bored to death; bored to tears
d) [beat/bore/charm etc.] the socks off somebody
e) bore the arse off somebody (British & Australian very informal!);
Also bore the ass off somebody (American very informal!)
f) Bored out of your mind
g) Bores me shitless
h) Bored as hell/Boring as hell
i) Overcome with boredom
j) Die of boredom

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop / playground!

It’s as exciting as watching paint dry!

Bugs
Pests
Insects
Opening questions:
1. What insect are you most afraid of? What would be your insect nightmare? (e.g., getting trapped in
a huge spider web, being eaten alive on an ant hill by fire ants, or being killed by a swarm of bees.)
2. What insects are most annoying to you? (e.g., the buzzing or chirping noise some insects make.)
3. What insect do you like? What insect do you dislike? (e.g., head lice and fleas)
4. Would you ever eat an insect to stay alive?
5. What are some of the positive things that insects do?
6. What are some of the negative things that insects do?
7. Describe a time you were bit or stung by an insect?
8. What’s your favorite way to kill or avoid insects? (e.g., fly swatter, insect repellent, mosquito net,
bug zapper (tennis racket), bug spray, roach hotel, poison, magnifying glass, call the
exterminator or pest control expert, stomping and slapping them.)
9. Did you ever feel sad when you killed a bug?
10. With a partner choose an insect below and describe it to them. Let them guess what it is.

Beetle 甲虫, ants 蚂蚁, honeybee / bees / bumblebee 蜜蜂, wasps / yellow jackets 黄蜂,胡蜂, butterflies
蝴蝶, moths 蛾子, lice 虱子, fleas 跳蚤, termite 白蚁, cockroaches 蟑螂, praying mantis 螳螂, earwigs /
pincher bugs 蠼螋, dragonflies 蜻蜓, spiders 蜘蛛, scorpions 蝎子, worm 虫,蠕虫, housefly/ flies 苍蝇,
maggots 蛆, gnat 蠓虫, grasshopper 蚱蜢, cricket 蟋蟀, ladybugs 瓢虫, mosquitoes 蚊子, tick 扁虱,
centipede 蜈蚣, cicada 蝉, mite 小虫
Part of an insect: Body (head, thorax, abdomen), antennae 触角, wings 飞行章, exoskeleton 外骨骼
Questions

1. Has someone ever bumped into you accidentally? What did they say? What did you say?
2. Do you get upset when people bump into you carelessly? Would you ever say something rude
to them in response?
3. When you are standing on the bus, and people are bumping into you, do you find this
annoying, or do you enjoy being so close to so many people (smelly person vs. sexy person)?
4. Have you ever bumped into a friend or acquaintance by chance in a crowded place or in the
middle of no where?
5. Do you find crowds of people to be maddening or relaxing (i.e. you can blend-in in a crowd
and vanish from public eye).
6. How do you define your space and privacy in public and in private? Do you mind people
who intrude in your business whether in public or private? Explain.
7. Do you like to be in the crowd or observe the crowd? Are you a people watcher?
8. Do you like or would you be interested in amusements like bumper cars, bumper boats,
river rafting or kayaking? Do you like these kinds of extreme sports and amusements?
9. Do you think that bumpin’ and grindin’ as a dance is fun or embarrassing? Would you do it?

Bumping and Grinding

• Bump and Grind or bump-and-grind refers to various kinds of rough

movement, e.g., kayaking through rapids, aggressive car racing,
country/western line dancing, grinding (dance), a slang term for sexual
intercourse, etc.
Part I Questions:

• What do you think of or remember about your childhood for the words
below:
o Toys 玩具 (Mr. Potato Head, Lincoln Logs, Barbie, Lego, etc.)
o Bicycle 自行车/rollerskates 旱冰鞋/rollerblades 直排轮
o Video games 电子游戏
o Book(s)
o Doctor/Dentist
o Pet 宠物
o Stuffed Animal 填充动物玩具 or Doll 娃娃
o Accidents 事故(when you made a mistake or hurt yourself)
o Childhood friends/classmates/neighbors
o Special things your parents would do for you
o Siblings 兄弟姐妹 (brothers and/or sisters), step-sister/step- brother,
cousins.
o Chores 家庭杂务
o Spanking 欠揍
o First lie 说谎
o First curse word, or bad word 诅咒; 咒骂的话
o First money or allowance 零用钱 from parents (what would you buy?)
o Going to the park, outdoor activities, amusement parks 游乐园
o Childhood Nightmares 噩梦, phobias 恐惧, fears, worries, etc.
o The childhood bully 恃强凌弱者, child bullying, or meanie 刻薄的人
o Temper tantrums 发脾气(e.g., screaming, yelling, crying, demanding
for or about something)
o Shy/Quiet/Reserved/Introverted OR Outgoing/Social
Butterfly/Loud/Unreserved/Extroverted

Part II (choose several questions to discuss):

• When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• What are the positive or negative things about being a child?
• How do parents discipline 纪律 their children in China?
• When you have children (or if you have children), what will you do differently
than your parents? What will you change?
Winter Holiday and the Christmas Wars: Jesus or Santa?

Opening Questions:
1. Do you celebrate Christmas (in China)? What do you do for this holiday?
2. What do you know about Christmas?
3. What is the difference between Christmas, X-mas, and Winter Holiday?
4. Many people in the West will say, “Remember the reason for the season.” Do you know
what this means?
5. Who is Santa Claus (Jolly Old St. Nick) and who is Jesus Christ?
6. Would you be upset if your parents told you stories that weren’t true as though they were, in
order to create a magical moment (i.e., Santa Claus flying in a sleigh drawn by reindeer
giving children presents; or the tooth fairy)? Have they ever done so?
7. Do you know what Christmas (Winter Festival: Winter Solstice) and Spring Festival have in
common?
8. Why are people in China interested in Christmas? (gift giving, to make money, its just fun?)
9. We live in a world of diminishing resources, do you think the cutting down of Christmas trees,
or use of fake trees, and the energy used for all the Christmas lights is a waste of resources?
Pagan holiday Reindeer presents commercialism Gifts/presents
Born of a virgin 3 wise men Shepherds Mary and Joseph manger
Stockings Chimney Apple Cider Angels Frosty the snowman
1. What are your favorite colors? Do you prefer dark colors or light/bright colors?
2. What are some of the meanings of colors? (blue=calm, red=passion)
3. Think of something with interesting colors and describe it to the person next to
you? Describe its shape, colors, size, appearance, and where you can find it.
4. What kind of body shape do you prefer from the list below for yourself? How
about for your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife:
a) apple
b) pear
c) hourglass
d) ruler
e) pencil
f) strawberry
5. Think of something that is similar in appearance to the geometric shapes below
and describe it to your partner. Some examples: a tree, table, television, or cup.

You can also describe shapes as being: circular, rectangular, triangular, spherical,
ovular,

6. Describe sizes of things with a partner: small, medium, large, huge, humongous,
tiny, little,itty bitty,teeney,wide,long, short, thin,
a) Comparatives: bigger, smaller, larger
b) Superlatives: biggest, smallest, largest
7. What do you think these idioms mean:
a) When he lost his temper at his wife, I began to see his true colors.
b) He passed the test with flying colors.

**Flying colors: based on the colorful flags flown (hung in the wind) on boats and ships. In a
battle the loser would "strike colors" or lower flags. If you get through with flying colors you have
won a battle.
Color Meaning
RED: warmth, love, anger, danger, boldness, excitement, speed, strength,
determination, desire, courage
ORANGE: cheerfulness, low cost, affordability, enthusiasm, stimulation, creativity
YELLOW: attention-grabbing, comfort, liveliness, cowardliness, hunger, optimism,
overwhelm, Summer, comfort, liveliness, intellect, happiness, energy
GREEN: durability, reliability, environmental, luxurious, optimism, well-being,
nature, calm, relaxation, Spring, safety, honesty, optimism, harmony,
freshness
BLUE: peace, professionalism, loyalty, reliability, honor, melancholia, boredom,
coldness, Winter, depth, stability, professionalism, honor, trust
PURPLE: power, royalty, nobility, elegance, sophistication, artificial, luxury,
mystery, royalty, elegance, magic
GRAY: conservatism, traditionalism, intelligence, serious, dull, uninteresting
BROWN: relaxing, confident, casual, reassuring, nature, earthy, solid, reliable,
genuine, Autumn, endurance
BLACK: Elegance, sophistication, formality, power, strength, illegality, depression,
morbidity, night

WHITE: Cleanliness, purity, newness, virginity, peace, innocence

1. What is the most dangerous thing you can imagine?
imagine
2. Are you a thrill seeker who looks for danger, or do you shy away from
and avoid danger?
3. What was the most dangerous thing that you have done?
4. What do you do when you see someone in danger?
5. If you are in danger, what should you do?
6. Is there an emergency number you can call on to when you are in danger?
7. Your mother/father and wife/husband are being swept away in a river,
river
who do you save?
8. Your child and spouse are being swept away in a river, who do you save?
9. You and your child are being swept away in a river and your spouse can
only save one of you, would you tell your spouse to save your child
and sacrifice your life?
life
10.A building is burning down, would you run in to save someone or
something?
11.You are surrounded by thieves who want to steal your purse or wallet.
wallet
Do you give it to them, try to force your way around them and run, or
fight them all?
12.If you were going to die in a dangerous way which would you choose?
What would be the worst way to die? Examples below:

-burning to death, -getting run over by a car,

-being buried alive,
alive -drowning
drowning,
drowning
-falling off a cliff or high place, -starving
starving to death,
death
-being swept up by a tornado, -being crushed under a cement slab
-being struck by lightning, or boulder,
-bleeding to death, -being eaten by a shark, lion, bear,
-being suffocated or choked to or tiger,
death, -freezing to death,
-being shot, -trampled
trampled in a soccer stadium,
-being attacked and eaten by a wild -being bit by a snake,
animal, -being squeezed to death by a large
-falling into a volcano of burning snake,(boa constrictor)
lava,
Dessert, Snacks, & Candy:

1. How do you say Dessert? How do you say Desert? What is the difference?
2. What are the different kinds of desserts?
a) Ice-cream, Ice-cream cones, Ice-cream bars, Ice-cream Sundaes. (How many scoops?)
b) Popsicle
c) Cake
d) Muffins
e) Cheese Cake
f) Pie
g) Pudding
h) Cookies
i) Pastries, donuts,
j) Candies, lollipop, cotton candy
k) Milk shakes, (fruit) Smoothies, and Slurpees
l) Rootbeer Float
m) Fresh Fruit and nuts, candied apples
n) Chocolate, assorted chocolates, Chocolate Easter Bunny, Fudge
o) Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Popcorn

3. How often do you eat desserts? (often, frequently, everyday, rarely, sometimes, occasionally)
4. Do you prefer natural desserts, such as fresh nuts, sweets, and fruit smoothies, or do you
prefer sugary and sweet desserts, like cookies, ice-cream, cakes, etc.
5. Most children dream of eating desserts, sweets, and candies. Why do you think this is so?
6. When you were a child, did you dream of eating desserts, sweets and candies? Share stories
with descriptions of your experiences.
7. What does it mean to have a sweet tooth?
8. Do you know when sweets and desserts are served (i.e., after dinner, Valentines, Halloween,
Christmas, Easter, breakfast, etc).
9. What are some of the ingredients found in desserts? What is a recipe?
10. What is a dessert potluck?
11. How much dessert will you eat if it is “all you can eat” or buffet style? Have you ever eaten
too much dessert? What was it?
12. Where do you normally buy your candy: Candy stores, at the check out line, from street
peddlers, vending machine, amusement parks, gumball machine, movie theatre snack bar
or concession stand, ice-cream man selling ice cream in an ice cream truck/ice-cream cart?
13. Have you ever sold snacks or candy for fundraising, such as Girl Scout Cookies in America?
Concession stand/snack bar Fundraising by selling chocolate bars and cookies
I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICECREAM
 ELECTRONIC DEVICES

With the Push of a Button what you want is Just a Click Away!
Questions
1. How many different kinds of electronic devices do you own? This may include:
a) Audio: Radio, CD player, stereos
b) Audio & Visual: Television, Computers, DVD player, VCRs, VCD, Video Cameras,
video games, Ipod
c) For communication: Computers (internet), Cell phone / Mobile phone, telephone,
cordless phone
d) Household appliances: washing machine, dryer, dish washer, refrigerator, oven,
microwave, blender / food processor / liquidiser, rice cooker, vacuum cleaner, air
conditioner, sewing machine, iron, light bulb
e) Other: electronic watches, handheld electronic dictionaries, camera,
f) Office: calculator, copy machine, fax machine, printer
2. What electronic device could you live without? What electronic device would you have
difficulty living without now?
3. What electronic devices have you used that are now becoming obsolete? (e.g., will televisions
become obsolete with computers?)
4. If you had to choose between two of the electronic devices below, and not use the other,
which would you choose:
a) Computer or Cell phone
b) Refrigerator or Washing Machine
c) Microwave or Oven
d) Rice Cooker or Air Conditioner
5. Describe a time when one of your electronic devices was not working, got broke, or lost?
What did you feel? How did you live without it?
6. How many hours do you spend watching the television? How many hours do you spend on
the computer? What do you watch?
7. Do you ever feel a strong attachment or addiction to electronics? Which ones?
8. Do you think electronics are helping us make life less complicated or more complicated?
9. Do you think electronics will make people smarter or dumber? (e.g., calculators and cash
registers make people bad at using math in their heads but the internet allows for more
information.)
10. What is the best way to go shopping for electronics? Do you buy your electronics at the
cutting edge of technology / they are state-of-the art/ hi-tech or do you wait for awhile?
(Cutting edge, meaning ‘in the forefront, in the most advanced position.’ The sharp edge of a
knife or sword is what goes first and cuts through obstructions so the knife can go to its vital
target. State-of-the art means the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or
scientific field, achieved at a particular time.)
11. Is it important to stay informed about the latest advances in technology? Explain why or why
not?
Questions
1. What is an emergency? What is an accident?
2. What are some different kinds of emergencies? What about accidents?
3. What was the most impressionable emergency or accident that occurred in your life? How did you
react to it?
4. Are you the type of person that hides your accidents and emergencies or tells everyone about them
afterwards?
5. Do you think the most dramatic and traumatic experiences in life are the most interesting stories for
retelling? Do we as people enjoy hearing stories of suffering or stories of bliss?
6. Describe a time when you hurt yourself? How did you react/respond?
7. Have you ever been badly burned? Had a bone broken and needed a cast or crutches? Etc.

事故 救护车 盗窃 火灾
Accident Ambulance Burglary Conflagration

太平门 急救箱 急诊室 火警

Emergency Exit Emergency Kit Emergency Room Fire Alarm

急救 救生员 救生衣 氧气面罩

First Aid Lifeguard Life Jacket Oxygen Mask

海难 担架 灭火器 救生艇
Shipwreck Stretcher Fire Extinguisher Rescue Boat
Emotions
Affection, Anger, Annoyance, Angst, Apathy, Anxiety, Awe, Boredom, Compassion, Contempt, Curiosity,
Depression, Desire, Despair, Disappointment, Disgust, Ecstasy, Empathy, Envy, Embarrassment, Euphoria, Fear,
Frustration, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Happiness, Hatred, Hope, Horror, Hostility, Hysteria, Joy, Jealousy,
Loathing, Love, Pity, Pride, Rage, Regret, Remorse, Sadness, Shame, Suffering, Surprise, Wonder, Worry

Positive emotions highlighted in bold

Negative emotions unchanged

Neutral emotions underlined (some neutral emotions could become negative)

1. Are you more of an emotional (feeling, caring, warm-hearted, moved in feeling, stirred,
affected by or showing emotion) or unemotional person (cool, rational, cold, cold-blooded,
unaffected, unmoved, reserved, restrained)? Or perhaps both? Explain
2. Describe time(s) when you have felt emotional or unemotional? What do you feel for each
below:
a) When watching a movie (choose a movie)
b) When watching a sports game
c) When something bad / good happened?
d) When you couldn’t do something you wanted to
e) When someone hurt you
f) When someone was crying or begging you for something
3. What are the best ways for you to become emotionally healthy when you feel low / feel down
/ feel in a slump?
a) Make time for yourself so you can bounce back to normal; relax and do things you enjoy
b) A balance between work and play, rest and activity, diet, etc.
c) Get plenty of sleep but not too much sleep.
d) Exercise regularly to relieve stress and lift your mood.
e) Spend time with friends and family; build and maintain fulfilling relationships.
f) Talk to other people about things which worry you
g) Be aware of your strengths and things you find difficult
h) Know the warning signs
4. Look at the list of positive, negative, or neutral emotions in the list near the top of the page.
Choose several emotions that you know and describe times when you felt those emotions. Do
the same for several emotions that you don’t know.
5. Do you think it is good to cry? When and where do you cry if you choose to? Do you like
letting other people see you cry?
6. If you are in a bad mood / attitude, what do you usually do to change it?
7. Which pets make you the happiest when watching them?
8. If you want to make more friends or connections, how do you do it?
9. Do you use the emoticons on instant messengers? Do they work or do you prefer speaking in
person?
Entertainment

Questions:
1. What do you do for entertainment?
2. Do you enjoy passive entertainment or active entertainment? What is the difference?
3. Do you enjoy a challenge? (e.g. video games, chess, Chinese Chess, Chinese Checkers,
checkers, discussion/debate with friends, etc.)
4. Do you prefer single player games, two player games, or multi-player games?
5. How much time do you spend entertaining yourself on a daily or weekly basis?
6. When you have guests over to your house how do you entertain them?
7. Would you ever play: Spin the bottle (spin a bottle and kiss whoever it lands on), Strip
poker (remove clothing when you lose bets), Truth or Dare, Toilet Paper somebody’s
house, or water warfare (Super Soakers and water balloons)?
8. Do you consider sporting activities to be entertainment? Do you prefer to observe sporting
events or take part in them?
9. Is there a difference in your mind between sports like bowling, and ping pong, and other
sports like football and basketball?
10. What forms of entertainment do you find to be boring or a waste of time? Why?
11. Are you addicted to any kind of entertainment (e.g. your eyes are glued to the screen)? If
you are, what would you do with yourself, if TV, videogames, etc. did not exist?

Board games are a vanishing breed.

breed At one point it would probably be
safe to say that almost any home contained several board games that
were played often. Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk and others were common
pastimes.
pastimes

Today, board games are much less common. Part of it can be attributed to
other diversions
diversions;
ersions radio and television, role-
role-playing games and
collectible card games, video games and computers and the Internet. But,
the games are still there and are still played by many people.
 Fear – sticking your head in the sand
Questions:

1. What are you most afraid of or scared of? Below is a list of top fears. Discuss times you have
been afraid. What did you do? :

Flying Heights Clowns Intimacy Death War People Snakes Success Driving
Terrorism Spiders Being a Rejection Criminals Being The Water Tunnels Nuclear
failure alone future war
Violence Bridges The Speaking Social The Being Lightning Fire Enclosed
Unknown in public rejection dark late spaces

2. Which of the fears would you rank as being your top ten fears? (#1 being most feared) Are
there any you would add to this list above?
3. Does someone in your family or a friend have an interesting fear that they wouldn’t mind you
sharing?
4. Should we face our fears? Do you have difficulty facing your fears? Describe an experience.
5. Are you afraid of the unknown, such as going to a new place, or worries about the future?
Explain in details.
6. Have you ever had a nightmare? What was it about? If so, describe.
7. Have you ever had a panic attack / anxiety attack, or felt scared to death? Describe.
8. Do you understand the meanings of the following idioms:
a) Put the fear of God into someone. – to frighten someone very much. To fear your
maker.
b) Fear the worst - to feel sure that what was least wanted has happened or will happen
c) Be out of your mind with fear – to be extremely afraid or so afraid you act crazy.
d) Afraid of one’s own shadow - Fig. easily frightened; always frightened, timid, or
suspicious. (An exaggeration.)
e) I’m afraid to tell you that… – you are afraid to tell someone something bad.
f) Be scared shitless – so afraid you shit your pants.
g) Scare someone out of their pants – scare someone completely out of their pants.
h) Frighten one out of their wits – frightened enough to lose one’s mind.
i) Frighten the hell out of someone (using hell is a kind of crude or bad language)
j) Scare the living daylights out of someone – scare the light or consciousness out of
someone.
k) Frighten / Scared to death
Feeling your feelings lately?
Questions

1. How do you express your feelings? Are you introverted or extroverted? A social recluse
/ hermit or social butterfly? A little bit of both?
2. Would you ever go to a psychologist, psychiatrist, or counselor for therapy? Or, do you
just talk to friends and family? Explain why or why not. (Both psychologists and
psychiatrist practice psychotherapy, but only the psychiatrist gives medication).
3. What is most difficult to deal with change or loss? What do you do when you feel
frustrated, sad, or depressed? Describe a time you lost something or had to make a
difficult change.
4. Would you ever consider any of the following therapies?
a) Adventure therapy (exploring the unknown in a safe environment through
adventure activities)
b) Aromatherapy (healing through smells)
c) Art therapy (using the creative process of art to heal and enhance one’s life).
d) Bibliotherapy (reading and writing therapy)
e) Color therapy (using color and light to balance energy)
f) Counseling
g) Dance therapy
h) Group therapy (talking with a group of people)
i) Hypnotherapy (during sleep a person is given suggestions to change their behavior)
j) Massage therapy
k) Dream work therapy
l) Other_________
5. Why do we have so many therapies today? Does this mean society today has more
problems, or we have more ways to fix the problems facing humanity for thousands of
years?
6. What do you feel is the one thing that you want to overcome in this life? (e.g., stage
fright, afraid of heights, afraid of death, lack of confidence about something). Explain.
How will you overcome?
7. Would you ever take your child, family member, or friend to any kind of therapy for
behavior problems, psychological disorders, etc?
8. Giving medication to children with behavior problems is a good idea. Agree or disagree.
1. When do you wake up or get up? What is your daily routine?
2. Describe a time you went to bed too late. Did you feel horrible the next day?
3. Have you ever gotten up on the wrong side of the bed? (i.e., you had a bad start
to your day and it continues throughout the day and people notice.) Describe.
4. Do you believe in the superstition (迷信, 没有根据的理论) that the left side of the
bed is the wrong side of the bed?
5. Do you know any other superstitions about good or bad luck(运气,幸运)?
6. What can you do if you wake up with a bad mood, you feel grumpy, grouchy,
irritable, or unpleasant for no apparent(明显的) reason? What makes you feel
this way?
7. They say, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,” and “Don’t go to bed with
a heavy heart.” What do you think these sayings mean?
8. Describe a time you went to bed with a heavy heart and didn’t sleep well. What
were you worrying about?
9. What helps you to become light hearted?
10. If you get off /start off on the wrong foot with someone you just met, what can
you do? (e.g., I don't really know why, but somehow Clare and I got off on the wrong foot.)
11. Have you ever been at the wrong place at the wrong time? What happened?
How about being at the right place at the right time? Describe.

Sometimes we get a bad start to our day, it continues throughout the day, and people notice.
Example: "I told you to pick up your things! And don't play your music so loudly!" Reply:
"Wow. It looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed!"

It is as if we started our day ("got up") in the wrong way ("on the wrong side of the bed") and
that has affected everything else that happened since. Example: "Don't start yelling at me just
because you got up on the wrong side of the bed."

What's got into him today?

What’s wrong with her today?

Giving and Receiving
Questions

1. It is said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Bible, Acts 20:35) Do you agree or
disagree with this statement?
2. In the West, some people pay 10% of their salary, wages, or earnings to the church. This is
called a tithe and offering. What do you think of this? Would you support something you
agree with by sacrificing 10% of your money each month?
3. What ways can one give of the heart, or show generosity? What can you do for your parents,
your friends, your classmates or colleagues, etc.? How might you share your time? Consider
the examples below:
a) Gift of affection: hugs, kisses, and pats on the back.
b) Gift of laughter: clip cartoons, share funny stories
c) Gift of a written note: send a 'thank you' note. Write a letter to an old friend.
d) Gift of a compliment: a simple 'you look great today', a sincere 'thank you for a
wonderful meal'.
e) Gift of listening: no interrupting, no daydreaming, no responding, just listening.
f) Gift of lending a helping hand: helping mom or dad with the laundry, the dirty dishes,
or cleaning the house after a long, hard day at work.
4. What is the best present or gift you have ever received? When did you receive it? What was
the occasion? Who gave it to you? How did you feel? Describe in detail.
5. What is the best present or gift you have ever given to someone? When did you give it? Who
did you give it to? What was the occasion? How did he/she/they feel? Describe in detail.
6. When you give a present to someone do you expect something back in return at some time?
Do you think giving in China has strings attached?
7. What do you feel about the obligation, expectation, or feeling that you need to give? (e.g.,
for Christmas, Spring Festival, Valentines, etc.) Is something most special for you when it is
expected or unexpected?
8. Have you ever made a donation to something, such as some kind of charity? Describe. If you
haven’t, what would you consider donating to?
9. What do you think of adoption? (e.g., people who adopt children without parents or pets
without owners.) Would you ever consider adoption?
10. How does Chinese culture encourage giving and receiving? In western culture, we have the
story of Ebenezer Scrooge, seen in the bottom, right-hand corner. He is a greedy, selfish,
person who dislikes giving. The story, “The Christmas Carol” shows how he becomes
generous.
Going Extinct
Questions
1. What does it mean for something to go extinct?
2. Do you like movies about the dinosaurs? Are you glad that they went extinct? Do
you think dinosaurs and humans could co-exist? Would you bring them back if we
could?
3. Do you think dinosaurs or dragons once co-existed with humans? Do you think
dragons were friendly or evil?
4. Can you think of anything that is going extinct or disappearing recently? What
used to be very common in China but is not anymore or is becoming obsolete?
5. Below is a list of things going extinct either in America or around the world:
a) Yellow Pages: includes business listings, phone numbers, addresses, maps, driving
directions and more
b) Classified Ads: for cars, jobs, real estate, and everything else
c) Movie Rental Stores: borrowing or renting movies for a small prices.
d) Phone Landlines: phones at home.
e) Answering Machines: a machine which people can leave a message on when they
call you and you are not home.
f) Cameras that use film
g) The Milkman: makes home deliveries.
h) Hand written letters: more people are text messaging and losing writing
skills.
i) Honey Bees: 50% to 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers have been wiped out.
j) New Magazines and TV News: more people are turning to the internet instead.
6. What do you think is common now that will become unnecessary in the future?
Explain.
7. Are these changes improving the environment or making it worse?
8. What do you think about people losing such skills as writing skills, their culture’s language,
or traditions of the past?
9. Do think we should hold to traditions and older ways of doing things, or should we allow
them to go extinct if enough people do not desire to keep them.
 Gyms, Fitness Clubs, Health Spas, Parks, Physical Education

Topic Questions:
1. Have you ever been part of a Fitness club or worked out at a gym? Did you run
on the treadmill? Have you ever had a personal trainer?
2. Did you like Physical Education (P.E.) in school? Which sports or activities?
3. Do you consider yourself to be athletic? Do you want to become more physically
fit?
4. How often do you exercise? Do you think exercise relieves your pressure and
stress or makes you feel more tired?
5. Have you ever been to a health spa? Did you get a massage, sweat in the sauna,
soak in the spa or jacuzzi, etc.?
6. What do you prefer, personal training (with or without a trainer) or group fitness?
7. What do you prefer: Circuit training (intervals of muscle conditioning), step
workout, aerobics, dance workout, martial arts/kick boxing, boxing, cycling,
water aerobics/swimming, yoga, pilates/ mat pilates (for balance and strength)
resistance training, belly dancing, running or swimming laps?

Keeping fit is not just a fad – it’s a way of life.

Whether you want to slim down or tone up,

up have more energy for work or for your family,
or just look and feel better--we’re here to help.

At LA Fitness we want you to exercise your options. From basketball to racquetball,

swimming to indoor cycling, free weights to cardio equipment (training for the heart),
personal training to group fitness and much more. We offer options in an environment
that makes you feel at home, no matter what your current fitness level may be.
Topics Questions:
1. How often do you get a haircut or trim?
2. Do you like the Shampoo Chair? Does your hairdresser give you a head massage?
3. How often do you go to Salons (e.g., for weddings, proms, or meaningful events)?
4. Have you ever tried to cut your own hair? What happened?
5. Did you have someone in your family cut your hair (e.g., mother or father) or do you go to a
hairdresser, hair salon, or barber?
6. What kind of haircut and style do you prefer (e.g., long, short, curly, perm, butch, spiked,
pixie cut, skin-head (shaved head), military cut, etc.)?
7. What kind of haircut, hairdo, or style do you prefer on the opposite sex?
8. Have you ever had hair extensions?
9. Describe your feelings on a bad hair day, when your hair may be frizzy, tangled, unraveled,
etc.?
10. Is hair care important to you? How often do you wash your hair? What is your favorite
shampoo and conditioner?
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? What color(s)?
12. Do you use styling gel?
13. What’s the difference between scissors, razor, electronic razor, hairdryer, hair straightener or
flat irons, electric shears, hair curlers, setters, hair wavers, hairbrush, and mirror?
 Halloween

Vocabulary & Talking Points

Costumes: costume parties, masks, wigs, make-up, accessories, party

supplies,

Pumpkins: Jack O’ Lantern, carve/carving,

Candy: Trick or Treat, candied apples, bobbing for apples, candy bowl.
Candy corn,

Mythical Monsters: Frankenstein, ghosts, ghouls and graveyards,

vampires, skeletons, mummies, witches, goblins, zombies, demons, the
reaper.

Animals: bats, black cats, owls, spiders and spider webs, vultures,
snakes

Haunted attractions/houses, superstitions, horror movies, ghost stories,

scarecrows, skull, full moon, coffin.

Questions
1. What do you know about Halloween?
2. What are some of the symbols of Halloween?
3. What kind of costume are you going to wear to the Halloween party if you go?
4. Have you ever dressed up in a costume?
5. Do you think giving a lot of candy to children, from strangers, is ok?
6. Do you believe in ghosts or any kind of monster?
7. Are you superstitious or scared easily?
Heroes, Idols, and Villains

1. What is a hero (protagonist)? What is an idol? What is a villain (antagonist)?

2. Do you think society has more heroes or idols?
3. Connect the words in the box. Which column of words describes Villains? Which column describes
Heroes? What words may be used to describe an idol?

4. Can a person be considered both a hero and a villain?

5. Who do you consider your hero? Is it someone close to you? Is it someone who is popular?
6. Would you ever consider an animal a hero? Have you seen any movies about animals who are
heroes? Why do you think these movies are popular with people?
7. Rank the following professions/jobs from most to least heroic: doctor, nurse, police, firefighter,
politician, teacher, life guard, crossing guard, security guard, soldier, sports star, parents, etc.
1.___________ 2.__________ 3.__________ 4.___________ 5.____________ 6.____________
7.___________ 8.__________ 9.__________ 10.__________ 11.___________ 12.___________

8. If people risk their life more by becoming shop attendants, bus drivers, truck drivers, plumbers,
painters, street cleaners, etc., than those in (Question #7) do you consider their jobs heroic?
9. Do you like watching movies with: superheroes, tragic heroes, teen idols, real life heroes, comic
book heroes, flawed (super) hero, heroic villains (Anti-Villain), villainous heroes (Anti-hero)?
10. If you could be a hero, what would you want to be remembered for? How would you most want to
help other people?

The difference between an idol and a hero or heroine is that a hero is a person that has done something good for the world.
An idol is a person that is famous because his or her looks or because he or she is good in something. May also be
something that people worship. Idol means uncritical worship, like a teen idol.
Hiding

Questions:

1. Have you ever hid from someone or something? Did you feel excited, scared, aware of every
sound, rustle, or movement, etc.?

2. What or where are some good hiding places? (Could be in your home, outside, in the forest,
etc.)

3. Do you tend to hide your feelings or express your feelings? What does it mean to bottle up
feelings of sadness and disguise inner feelings?

4. What are some clues, signs, or signals, that someone is hiding something from you, be it their
feelings or something they are doing? What would be a dead giveaway?

a. Body Language & Avoidance (folded arms, hands in pockets, etc.)

b. Facial features (Its written all over their faces.)

c. Contradictions in story

5. Is it ever ok to hide something from someone?

6. Have you ever played Hide and Seek/ Hide and Go Seek?

7. What is camouflage, blending in, and mimicry: e.g. animal (prey) that hide from their
predators by hiding or disguising themselves.

The Owl butterfly from Africa mimics the Owl quite remarkably fooling predators into perceiving
something more ferocious.
Guessing Game: Choose an animal or insect and give clues, hints, or descriptions for the rest of the class
to decide what it is.

Example 1:

Clue 1: It looks like a rat.

Clue 2: It flies.

Clue 3: It lives in a cave.

Clue 4: It is nocturnal (It only comes out at night.)

Clue 5: It eats insects and fruits, and some are vampires (i.e. suck blood).

Example 2:

Clue 1: It lives in the ocean.

Clue 2: It has two large snappers or a pincher claw and crusher claw.

Clue 3: It has eight walking legs.

Clue 4: It has a tail fin.

Clue 5: It has two antennas.

Example 3:

Clue 1: It lives in the ocean.

Clue 2: It has wings.

Clue 3: It has fins.

Clue 4: It can not live outside the water for long.

Clue 5: It lays eggs to reproduce.

Is My Life filled with Happy?

• Are you a happy person?

• What is happiness for you?
• What do you think is the color for happiness?
• Do you think that happiness lies within you? Or does it depend upon
other people and external things?
things
• Can money buy happiness?
• Is happiness a state of mind?
mind
• What makes you feel happy?
• What are the three most important things for you to be happy?
• Is happiness relative,
relative that is, does it have a different meaning
for each person?
• Are you a happy-
happy-go-
go-lucky
luck y, jumping for joy
joy kind of person? (not
worrying about what might happen cheerful and happy-go-lucky.)
• When do you feel sad, depressed,
depressed gloomy,
gloomy or under the weather?
weather

Happiness is a noun; Happy, Happier, and Happiest are adjectives; Happily is an

adverb. (The child smiled happily; Happily, (= Fortunately,) she arrived home safely.)

Decide which statements are correct (thumbs up) and incorrect (thumbs
down):

1. I am so happiness.
2. I am full of happiness.
3. I am happy and she is sadness.
4. My sadness can not be changed by your happiness.
5. She smiled happily when she smelled the roses.
6. I am sadly informed to tell you, that your little pet Zhū Zhū (猪猪) has died.
7. Hǎo xìngfú (好幸福),…You must be so happiness, your child is so cute, “guāi,
guāi,…guāi,guāi.” (“乖乖…乖乖”)
8. I wish you happy every day.
9. Which are correct:
a) Be happy every day
b) Happy every day
c) Happy happy every day
d) I am happy every day
e) Be happy!
10. I will be happy when I see the greenbacks
 It's A Small World
"Hey, it's funny seeing you here." Reply: "It's a small world."

It's a world of laughter, a world or tears
Its a world of hopes, it’s a world of fear
There’s so much that we share
That it’s time we're aware
It’s a small world after all
CHORUS:
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small, small world
(chorus)
Questions
1. Have you ever met someone you know on the street
by chance or by coincidence 巧合? Where did you
meet them? What were you doing that day?
2. Do you often run into people you know when you go
somewhere?
3. Have you ever bumped into someone you didn’t know
well, or someone you disliked? What did you do? What
will you do in each situation:
a) You run into your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend.
b) You run into your best friend who betrayed or
cheated you.
c) Other____________________.
4. If you meet someone by chance or coincidence, do you
think it was meant to be 命运, or synchronicity [心]同
步性,同时发生? Do you think it’s creepy 令人毛骨悚
然的, incredible, or interesting? Does it have meaning?

5. The world is becoming a smaller place. If you could be a resident 居民 of more than one country,
would you want to? Do you think dual citizenship 双重国籍 is a good idea?

6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a citizen 公民,市民 of one country and more
than one country? What other countries would you want to live in?

7. What should the requirements 必需品,调整需要量 be to live in another country? (e.g., language
requirements, health requirements, education requirements, etc.)

8. What do you think about immigration 移居,移民?

Is it risky 危险的? What do you think about it?

9. What is your dream for the world?

 JUST PLAIN TIRED
1. What are you fed up with or tired of doing lately (i.e., annoyed with or sick
of doing something)? How can you get a change of pace or change of
scene? Examples can include:
a. A kind of food that you always eat.
b. A household chore that you have to do each day or every week.
c. Other____________.
2. What gets you pooped out (Middle English poupe, from the Latin puppim: the
rear section of a ship or stern of a boat. If it shows damage it is called ‘pooped;’ the poop deck),
run-down, worn-out, drained, dead dog-tired, wiped out, fatigued, and beat? Consider the
following and describe any experiences you have had:
a. Shopping
b. After exercising (e.g., climbing up a mountain, running,
swimming all day, etc.)
c. Traveler experiencing jet lag. (Caused by time differences
around the world).
d. School or work (perhaps you are overworked)
e. Other___________________.
3. Have you ever experienced serious burn-out and felt broken down? What did you do? If you
haven’t, what will you do if you face this one day?
4. Do you prefer long breaks (two month vacations) or many short breaks (one to two weeks
breaks)? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
5. Are you a night owl or an early bird? Why do you prefer going to bed late (night owl) or waking
up early (early bird)? Do you need an alarm to wake up, or does your body wake up by itself?
6. You have an important day ahead of you, and to prepare for it you pulled an
all-nighter. You are feeling dazed and confused, groggy, and dead on your
feet. Your head is drooping, and you just want to catch some ZZZs. You can
not stop yawning and you are drossy, dozing off every second, or nodding
off involuntarily/ drifting off to sleep. What do you do in each situation
(do you cancel any and stay home?):
a. Driving to work or school.
b. Taking the bus somewhere.
c. Important business meeting or class presentation.
d. 8 hour shift
e. 12 hour shift
7. What’s your favorite kind of pick-me-up? (e.g., cup of coffee/tea, a bite to eat, a shower, etc.)
8. Do you think counting sheep helps? What else helps you fall asleep when you can’t?
TIRED
Main Entry: tired Part of Speech: adjective Definition: exhausted, weary Synonyms: all in, annoyed,
asleep, beat*, bored, broken-down, burned out, collapsing, consumed, dead on one's feet, distressed,
dog-tired, done for, done in, drained, drooping, droopy, drowsy, empty, enervated, exasperated, fagged,
faint, fatigued, fed up*, finished, flagging, haggard, irked, irritated, jaded, narcoleptic, overtaxed,
overworked, petered out, played out, pooped, prostrated, run-down, sick of, sleepy, spent, stale,
tuckered out, wasted, worn, worn out Antonyms: activated, active, energized, fired up, fresh,
invigorated, refreshed, rested

Main Entry: tire Part of Speech: verb Definition: exhaust, weary Synonyms: annoy, bore, burn out, bush,
collapse, crawl, debilitate, deject, depress, disgust, dishearten, dispirit, displease, distress, drain, droop,
drop, enervate, ennui, exasperate, fag, fail, faint, fatigue, flag, fold, give out, go stale, grow weary,
harass, irk, irritate, jade, nauseate, overburden, overstrain, overtax, overwork, pain, pall, peter out,
poop out, prostrate, put to sleep, sap, sicken, sink, strain, tax, vex, weaken, wear, wear down, wear out,
wilt, worry, yawn Antonyms: activate, energize, fire up, invigorate, refresh
 Kicking the Habit
Stopping is often more powerful than doing and what you don’t do determines what you can do.

1. If you were to write a “stop doing” list, what would

you include in it/ put on it? (I want to stop…) Things to stop doing:
2. Do you feel very busy lately? What can you stop Stop biting your fingernails.
doing to give yourself more time? Stop smoking.
3. Did you ever have to tell someone to stop doing Stop going to bed too late.
something? (Perhaps they were hurting themselves Stop watching too much television.
or being annoying). Describe. What happened? Stop playing too many video/computer games.
4. If you have a friend or family member(家族成员) Stop spending too much money / Gambling.
with the addictions (耽溺,上瘾) below, how will Stop eating too much food.
you help them stop or give up (放弃) the addiction? Stop putting yourself down.
a. Alcohol / Smoking (酒精/吸烟) Stop trying to do everything.
b. Betting / Gambling (打赌/赌博) Stop trying to be a perfectionist.
c. Body building/Weightlifting 健美运动/举重 Stop telling lies or little “white lies.”
d. Soda pop / Colas / Coffee Stop checking your email constantly.
e. Money / Wealth / Fame & Fortune Stop using your cell phone 24/7.
f. Drug 毒品 Stop procrastinating.
g. Chocolate Stop breaking your promises- letting people
h. Food down.
i. Internet addiction (pornography, (色情文 Stop being a people pleaser.
Stop leaving dirty dishes/laundry around the
学, 色情描写) excessive (过多的,过分的)
house.
online dating, etc.)
Stop being lazy.
j. Over working (workaholic) 工作狂
Stop telling other people what to do.
k. Shopping
Stop worrying about little things
l. Television shows / Movies / Videogames /
Computer games 电子游戏
m. Oversleeping (睡过头)
5. Describe your experiences with any of the above. Have you quit any?
6. Have you ever quit doing something “cold turkey” or “quit cold”? Were you successful? (“I want
to quit drinking right now. As of this moment, I am going cold turkey.”)
7. What are some of your habits and routines? What do you do every day?
8. They say, “Old habits die hard.” (i.e., they are hard to stop) Which of the above do you consider
the most difficult and least difficult to stop or quit?
9. When faced with addictions and bad habits, what is at the root of the problem?

Cold Turkey 突然停止(坏习惯)

At the root of our problems / troubles
我们各种问题的根源
Old Habits die hard. 积习难移.
Kicking the habit 摆脱/除去某习惯
 Laughing My Pants Off!
A belly laugh A laughing stock Have the last Laugh my head He has a sense of
捧腹大笑 笑柄 laugh 笑在最后 off 笑得要死 humor 幽默感
Burst or Bust out Laugh oneself Be a barrel or He’s laughing all Somebody
laughing silly (愚蠢的; 可 bundle of laughs the way to the laughing in my
突然笑了起来 笑的) 笑的不行 他们是一堆搞笑 bank 他到银行去 face.当面嘲笑
了 的人 一路都在笑呢.
For laughs/ kicks Not know Split one’s sides Rolling on the Laughed so hard
For giggles; for whether to laugh laughing; He had floor laughing 在 I almost shit/
shits and giggles or cry; 不 知 道 me in stitches 捧 地板上滚着笑； crapped/peed/wet
为了捣乱; 为了 是否笑或哭 腹大笑；乐不可 my pants 笑得都
取乐; 借以开心 支 尿裤子了.
Laughing until laugh my ass off No laughing Laugh off the Rolling in the
you cry 笑到你 超级好笑; 屁股 matter stage 喝倒彩 aisles laughing
哭 都笑掉了 不是闹着玩的事 过道中笑得打滚

1. What kinds of things make you laugh? (e.g., a movie, pets, babies, people dressed badly,
burping 打嗝, belching 嗳气, and farting 放屁.) What makes you laugh out loud 大笑?
2. Do you think laughter is the best medicine? Was there a time that someone raised your
spirits with laughter/jokes? Do you know someone who is a riot (i.e., a very funny person)?
3. Are you ticklish? Do you have a funny bone or crazy bone and burst out laughing when
people touch it, squeeze it, or tickle it? Would you ever tickle someone to death? Have you?
4. What gets you rolling on the floor laughing or rolling in the aisles (of a theater or church)
laughing?
5. Describe a time when you were laughing about a serious matter, about something that was
no laughing matter? (e.g., a sad story, a serious formal meeting, a funeral, during confession
(告解, 作忏悔) at church, or your spouse wants a divorce and you laugh) What happened?
6. Have you witnessed someone laughing or giggling (咯咯地笑,咯咯笑) about a serious
matter?
7. Did anyone ever laugh in your face and upset you? What did you do? What will you do if
someone laughs in your face?
8. Have you ever had the last laugh when laughed at by others? (笑在最后[获得最后胜利,使
讥笑你的人]) For example, everyone said your business will fail, and it succeeds. You have
the last laugh and laugh all the way to the bank with all the money you make.
9. Were you ever the laughing stock or the butt of a joke (stock: a butt, stump, or end) and
everyone made fun of you? What would you do in such a situation?
10. What’s the funniest joke that you have ever heard or inside joke you know? Retell the joke.
11. Have you ever laughed at something and felt guilty about it? (e.g., laughing at midgets (侏儒,
极小者) or fat people (胖人).

Rolling on the floor laughing

Making Choices

1. Describe a time you had to make a tough choice or you had a dilemma, meaning there are
two or more solutions or possibilities to your problem decision? What did you do?
2. Have you ever set your mind on something and you didn’t want to change your mind?
3. What are some of the most difficult decisions you have ever had to make?
4. Have you ever postponed making a decision to keep your options open?
5. Have you ever been in a Catch 22 situation (you cannot do one thing without doing a second,
and you cannot do the second before doing the first) or felt damned if you do and damned if
you don’t?
6. There are many problems in the world. Think of a problem, like the environment, and discuss
solutions and alternatives.
7. If you had only 24 hours to live, what would you do?
8. You were told you had a terminal illness and had six months to live. What three things would
be most important for you to do?
9. If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
10. If you found a suitcase full of $1,000,000, what would you do?
11. If you had to choose between a wonderful romantic relationship that would end after only a
year, or a so-so relationship that would last your entire life, which one would you choose?
12. If you had to choose between love and no money or money and no love for the rest of your life,
which would you choose?
13. If you were given a choice between being given great wisdom or great wealth, which would
you choose?
14. If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only take three things with you, what would
you take? Why?

Vocabulary:
Weigh my options; weigh your options
At the top of my priorities
At the top of my list
First things first
Figure out
Take charge
Follow a set of guidelines
Stick with it
When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

a. axe h. raft
b. knife i. watch
c. deserted island j. tent
d. fins k. pencil and paper
e snorkel and mask l. hammock
f. fishing pole
g. whistle
Memories

“You will look back on the times you laughed and you will cry. You will look back on the times
you cried, and you will laugh. You will always remember close friends, and you will always keep
memories of them in your heart.”

Questions:
1. Memories make you. What do you think this means? Give examples.
2. Those who forget the past will repeat it. What do you think this means? Give examples.
3. Do you have a good memory or bad memory? Explain.
4. Do you usually remember things or forget things? Explain
5. Would you like to have a perfect memory? Why or why not? How would it change your life?
6. What's your earliest memory? When was it? Describe it in detail.
7. What's your most vivid (clear or sharp) memory? When was it? Describe it in detail.
8. Have you ever forgotten something important, like your keys, phone, or an important date?
What happened?
9. Are there some things or times that you will never forget? Explain.
10. Are there some things or times that you wish you could forget? Explain.
11. Many people find that a certain sound, smell, or place brings back a memory very strongly
(such as the smell of a food that your mother often cooked when you were young).
a) Why do you think this is?
b) What has this effect on you?
c) Give examples.
12. If you could edit your memories, would you want to erase some and why? Would you want
to make some clearer and more vivid? (Movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
13. If you could have a photographic memory for: Faces, Numbers/Digits, Words, or Places,
which would you choose?
14. If you only had short-term memory, what would be the most important facts you would
want to remember? What would be the safest place to save these facts so you never forget?
(Movie: Memento)
15. Do you have any small mementos? If so, describe.
16. If your brain could be given a micro-memory chip, that helps you remember everything and
records what you see, hear, or say, would you want it? (Movie: Final Cut)
17. If you could live another life on earth in another body, so long as you forgot most or
everything about who you were before, would you want to? (e.g. reincarnation)
 Moments

1. What were some of the defining moments in your life or perhaps a big moment that you had
been waiting for?
2. Have you ever faced a moment of truth? (i.e., the point at which someone has to
face the reality of a situation.) Some moments of truth to discuss:
a) An examination, driving test
b) Taste testing your food after cooking it.
c) Parachute jump, bungee jumping
d) Space shuttle lift off
e) Sporting event (e.g., lifting w eights to discover they are too heavy).
f) Asking a girl or boy if they like you and want to be your girlfriend or boyfriend.
g) Opposing someone or something with others support. (Fight or flight?)
3. Has anyone ever visited you at a moments notice or on the spur of the moment (with very
little advance notice; with just a little bit of warning)? Do you mind people dropping on by,
or do you prefer that they call you first?
4. Do you have a friend or family member who you can spend time with and never have a dull
moment? Describe their personality and what kinds of things they do.
5. Do you have a place you enjoy going where there are never dull moments? (
6. Describe a time when every minute or moment counts and there is not a moment to spare.
(i.e., time is very important.) There are some examples below. If you had to choose to be in
one situation, except “a” which would you choose.
a) Preparing for a test, which will determine your choices for the rest of your life.
b) you or someone you love has a terminal illness,
c) your parachute hasn’t opened, you are trying to open it,
d) a bomb is going off, you have to stop it,
e) you are caught in bad weather and it is very cold, you worry about hypothermia
(freezing to death)
f) You lose control of your car and drive into a river. The water is coming into your car
and your seat belt is stuck.
7. Describe a time you lived for the moment (i.e., to live only for the pleasures of the present
time without planning for the future.) or perhaps in the moment (you are focused)? Some
people always plan ahead, others are very easy going and live for the moment, which do you
think is best?
8. Have you ever done something in the heat of the moment which you later
regretted? How did you make amends or apology later? Did you? (e.g., you said
something you didn’t mean to say).
9. Have you ever experienced a moment of weakness when you let your guard
down and did something you wouldn’t normally do?
10. When people ask you for help, do you often say, “Just a moment,” or do you do it promptly
or immediately?
1. In pairs discuss what things you hope to change in the coming year.
a) How do you plan to achieve your goal?
b) What challenges do you expect to face?
c) Have you tried to make a resolution before and been unsuccessful?
d) Do you plan to change one thing or many things? Are you more successful if you strive
to change just one thing or work on many things at once?
2. Do you think New Years Resolutions often fail? Should resolutions be made on a monthly
basis?
3. Do you evaluate your progress daily, every other day, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, every three
months, every six months, or yearly? How do you evaluate your progress?

New Years Resolutions (Goals) How to achieve / challenges/ expectations

• What is your biggest goal in life?

• How do you plan to achieve that goal?
• What are your "short term" goals?
• What are your "long term" goals?
• Should parents help their children set goals?
• What are your educational goals?
• What are your career goals?
• What are your financial goals?
• Why are goals important?
• Is having a goal in life effective in becoming successful?
• Is having a goal helpful in motivating a person?
• Do you think people have fewer goals as they get older?
• Do you have any goals that you feel are unrealistic?
• How do people's goals change from country to country?
• What are your goals in your current job?
• What are the main differences between male and female goals?
• Which of your goals have you already achieved?
• How would you feel if you failed to achieve any of your goals?
• Do you think it's a good idea to write your goals down and tick them off as
you achieve them?
• How important are goals to you?
 Pets – Canine and Feline Companions
Questions
1. What is your favorite kind of pet and why?
2. Which pet do you dislike the most and why?
3. How old were you when you got your first pet?
4. Do you have any funny stories about your pet?
5. Are you a cat person or a dog person, other, or neither?
6. If you were to select a dog, would it be big or small, short haired or long haired,
temperamental or always happy, etc.?
7. Did you ever try to train or teach your puppy/dog, kitten/cat a trick? Were you successful?
8. Do you like full breeds, cross breeds, or mutts?
9. Other people are known to have rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, turtles, birds, fish, and
reptiles as pets? Have you ever had any of these animals as pets?
10. Have you ever adopted a pet?
11. What’s your favorite pet attire, accessories, or toys? What’s the most interesting?
12. Pets are great, but sometimes they are not! What do you dislike most about pets?
13. Can pets be food? Or can animals that people like as pets also be raised as food?
14. Is animal homelessness and abuse a serious problem? Should people be punished or fined for
taking bad care of their animals or for cruelty to others pets, strays, or wild animals?
15. Does China have an animal humane society, and animal shelters? If not, should it?

Pets make great companions. Dogs are loyal companions. They listen, are trainable and have a
lot of personality. Most dogs enjoy exercise and will help you to exercise too since you will need
to walk them regularly. Cats are very independent and prefer to be on their own most of the time.
For some, cats are ideal pets because they don't need to be walked and they're easy to take care of.
Fish are quiet and serene pets. Although fish seem like very low maintenance pets, you should
keep in mind that some fish do require a bit of work. It can be a challenge to maintain ideal
conditions inside the tank and keep it clean. Birds make good companions and are fun to watch.
Each bird has his own personality, but there are similarities in temperament and general behavior
within species.

“Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”
George Eliot
“I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
Sir Winston Churchill
The term "potluck party" has an old-fashioned ring to it. Potluck parties
are an ideal form of entertaining for the contemporary host or hostess
who would like to gather with friends but is too busy running between
the office and the soccer fields to host a formal party. Whenever the
impulse to host a casual get-together strikes, you can call up your friends,
neighbors or family, tell them you're organizing a potluck, and ask them
to bring along one dish to share with the rest of the group.

Questions:

1. What did you bring to the potluck?

Utensils 厨房用具
Appetizers/Starter 开胃食品
Main Dishes/Entree 主菜
Desserts 饭后甜点
Beverages 饮料
Main courses and bakery dessert 菜点

2. How did you prepare your dish for the potluck?

Bake/Roast 烤, Stir- Fry 炒, fry, pan-fry, 油煎, Boil , 煮, 沸腾, Steam 蒸, Sauté 快炒

3. What are the ingredients 材料 in your dish? (Flour 面粉, egg, water, salt 盐, pepper 胡椒粉,
MSG 味精, meat, vegetables, fruit, etc.)

4. Name the kind of meat (beef 牛肉, pork 猪肉, chicken, mutton 羊肉, fish), vegetables, and/or
fruits in your dish.

5. Is your dish sweet 甜, salty 咸, spicy 辣, sour 酸, or bitter 苦? What kind of flavor 滋味 or taste
口味 do you prefer?

6. Do you prefer casual parties or formal parties? Discuss any parties you have been to in the past.
7. How often do you go out? Do you like to eat out or eat in? Or do you prefer take out 外卖店?
8. Besides going to potlucks, have you ever taken part in a barbecue 烤肉, picnic 野餐, or brunch
早午餐? When you go out for snacks 小吃, what do you usually get or order?
9. What is your favorite food group: fruits & vegetables, dairy products, meat & alternatives
(beans, nuts, and soy products), or grain products 谷类?
10. What kinds of dishes do you like best with your favorite food group(s)?
11. Do you like eating junk food (soda, cake) 垃圾食品，无营养食品, raw food (salads, sushi) 食品
原料, frozen food (ice cream) 冷冻食品, and finger food 可供婴儿抓食之食物?
Seasons and Places

Topic Questions:
1. What is your favorite time of the year: Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall/Autumn?
2. What are some colors associated with each season?
3. Do you prefer: the beach/ocean, desert, mountains, tropics, tropical islands, countryside,
country pond, suburbs, or cities?
4. What kinds of activities can you do in each of the places above? (Cycling, fishing, swimming,
picking/wildflowers flowers, skiing, catching frogs and butterflies, playing in the leaves,
motocross, etc.)
5. What is one activity you have not done yet that you would like to do some day in the future?
6. Do you travel often? Where have you been for a vacation, break, or getaway?
7. What kind of place would you want to stay in when you travel: hotel, motel, hostel,
motorhome/RV, camping, friends place, etc.?
1. When do you usually go to bed? Are you like the early bird who catches the worm, or a night owl?
Are you early to bed, early to rise or late to bed, late to rise?

2. When do you usually wake up and start your day?

3. Do you take naps/cat naps, or an hour-long snooze at anytime in your day or evening?

4. How do deal with sleep deprivation? (loss of sleep)

5. What do you do if you feel half awake, groggy, find yourself nodding off involuntarily or drifting off
to sleep? Do you ever drink coffee, soda, or an energy drink? Will you crash a few hours later if you
take coffee or soda?

6. Do you ever drool in your sleep, snore, talk in your sleep, or even sleep walk?

7. Do you usually feel alert and awake or exhausted bodily and sleepy?

8. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter or cram session for the next day’s deadline that lasted all night
until the morning? Have you ever pulled an all-nighter¹ for recreation (i.e., videogames, computer
games, online chat, etc.).

9. Have you ever had a sequential all-nighter?

10. What are your all-nighter tricks and tips? If you had to stay up all night, what would you do to stay
awake? (Set a timer or alarm, take a shower and freshen up every so often, sit on a hard chair or the
cold floor, turn on the air-conditioning, etc.).

11. Do you procrastinate? (put things off) Do you have a large work load and keep on top of it or keep a
good pace?

1. All-Nighter

The term is popular with college students who spend the night before an exam studying (or
'cramming'), trying to learn a lot of material in a short period of time. The term is frequently used in
the phrase 'pull an all-nighter'. It happens when you stay up all night for any purpose, to hang out,
have sex, study, go online, drive, or any other activity Pulling multiple all nighters within a week can
really take its toll on anyone. Pulling multiple all nighters within a week can really take its toll on
anyone.

Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!

Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue.

The saying above is a traditional wedding custom for good luck for a bride. The custom is
based on an English poem:
Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Each item refers to a good luck token for a bride. The custom is that if the bride carries all
four items on her wedding day, she will have a happy marriage. Before the late 19th century,
blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue,
lover be true." If you were getting married, what might you choose for good luck that is old,
new, borrowed, and blue? (Usually they are small trinkets, clothing, a family heirloom (e.g.
Family Bible) or something of personal importance.)

Questions:
1. What is something new that you recently bought?
2. What is the oldest thing that you own?
3. Have you ever bought something that was second-hand, used, or a
hand-me-down?
4. Have you ever heard of or been to a garage sale? What kinds of things can you find?
5. Have you ever donated something of yours to charity/charitable organization, or to
someone you know that was needy? Do you have pawn shops in China? (Pawn: to give
or deposit (personal property) as security for the payment of money borrowed.)
6. Do you know any pack rats? Are you a pack rat?
7. When you make an expensive purchase are you more likely to buy something
that has a warranty? Would you pay extra money for a warranty?
8. Do you pay close attention to the expiration dates on the things you buy,
such as when your warranty expires, or when your milk or meat is no longer
fresh and has expired?
9. Have you ever gotten a refund? What was it for?
10. How would you rate the things that you own: poor condition, good
condition, or excellent condition? Would you ever buy something in poor condition and
try to fix it or repair it yourself? Do you know any Mr. Fix Its?
11. Look at the words below. If you own something and it has any of these qualities, will you
keep it or discard it?
Ripped Scratched Busted Faded Ragged Stretched Twisted Burned out No charge
撕破 划破 打破 模糊 破衣 拉伸的 扭曲的 烧掉 无电
Tattered Rusty Cracked Discolored Stained Dirty Broken Empty Needs
破烂的 生锈的 破碎的 脱色的 玷污 肮脏的 打破 空的 Refill 空
 Some Meanings of Stuff:
1. Unspecified things
2. Special ability
3. To pack tightly or cram, to fill
STUFF 4. To block
5. To overeat, gorge down

1. What kinds of stuff do you like? Do you like cute stuff, weird stuff,
crazy stuff, scary stuff, funny stuff, sexy stuff / hot stuff, interesting
stuff / cool stuff, stupid stuff, kids’ stuff, etc.?
2. Do you have a lot of stuff at home? Have you ever moved from one
apartment to another and thought, “Wow, I have a lot of
junk / stuff!”
3. If you had to sell all your stuff, and can only keep three
things, what will you keep?
4. Are you in the habit of stuffing your face or feeling stuffed
after eating dinner? Do you know someone who eats a lot
of food and often gets stuffed? Would you ever take part
in an eating contest (e.g., for dumplings, hotdogs, pizzas)?
5. Some people are really good at something and know their stuff. (e.g. ‘I know
my stuff. I can do my job.’) What stuff do you know well?
6. What do you think of people who strut their stuff or show off
their stuff? (‘Get out there on that stage and strut your stuff! I'm going
to strut my stuff and become a star.’) Do you ever watch models
strutting the runway / catwalk?
7. What do you consider to be kids’ stuff / child’s play / a piece of
cake (i.e., an activity or piece of work that is very easy. ‘A five-mile
bike ride? That's kids' stuff.’)?
8. What used to be hard for you but is now kids’ stuff?
9. Are you comfortable or uncomfortable with rough stuff / rough
housing? (i.e., unnecessary roughness. ‘Okay, let's cut out the rough
stuff! There was too much rough stuff in the football game.’)
10. Describe a time you had a stuffed up nose or felt sick.
11. Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? Do you still have it?
Surprise & Shock
1. Do you like surprises?
2. Have you ever been surprised? Can you recall a pleasant surprise?
3. What in your mind is or would be the best surprise? For example:
a) Your boyfriend proposes to you in a romantic way.
b) Someone throws you a surprise birthday party.
c) A secret admirer or boyfriend/girlfriend gives you flowers, chocolate, jewelry, or some
surprise present / gift.
d) You get a promotion or pay raise from your company.
e) You get a scholarship to study at a prestigious college in China or abroad after thinking
you wouldn’t receive it
f) Someone you know who had an incurable disease miraculously recovers
g) You win a lot of money in the lottery.
h) You lose something special to you and after many years you find it again.
i) You write a book that you think won’t be successful, but it becomes an international
best-seller.
4. What in your mind is or would be the worst surprise? For example:
a) You or your girlfriend finds out you are unexpectedly pregnant.
b) You get stuck in a surprise thunderstorm without an umbrella.
c) Someone frightens you as a practical joke or prank.
d) There is an insect, hair, or something gross in your food at a restaurant.
e) You discover the fruit or vegetable you bought from the market is rotten inside.
f) Your taxes are higher than expected, or your stock / shares in a company loss money.
g) You go to the doctor and discover you have a health problem.
h) You discover you have a lot of viruses on your computer.
i) You are unexpectedly let go / laid off from your job.
5. Look at the list of best and worst surprises and share stories for any which have happened to
you.
6. Have you ever done something that surprised or shocked the people around you or your
parents? For instance, you act opposite to your personality, you get a tattoo, or you break
some social convention or etiquette.
7. What do you consider to be shocking?
8. What is culture shock? Have you ever experienced it? How would you deal with cultural
differences?
9. Do you like watching movies that have surprise endings or are predictable? Have you ever
watched a shocking film? Discuss.
10. What’s the best April fools joke that was played on you or you heard about?

A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of
surprises. - Isaac Bashevis Singer

A nice blend of prediction and surprise seem to be at the heart of the best art. - Wendy Carlos
 TAKE A BITE INTO THIS!
Questions
1. When you want to grab a bite to eat,
eat
where do you go? What do you usually
order?
2. Have you ever said something that
came back to bite you?
you (i.e., what
you said later gave you troubles or
problems.)
3. If someone hurts you, will you
bite back?
back (i.e., you hurt them
back)
4. Did you ever have to bite your
tongue (i.e., stop yourself
from saying something)?
Explain. When should you keep
silent?
5. Do you have the habit of biting your
fingernails or accidentally biting
your tongue (literally
literally biting your
tongue)? Describe.
6. Can you think of a time your parents
upset you and you feel like biting
the hand that feeds you?
you
7. Are you afraid to bite the big one/
bite the bullet/ bite the dust?
dust
Are you afraid to die? What do
you think would be the worst way
to die?
8. Describe a time when someone wanted
to bite your head off,
off or spoke to you
sharply and with anger.
9. Have you ever bit off more than you
could chew?
chew
10.Has anyone ever put the bite on you
for money? (e.g., charity, beggar,
friend, family member)
11.Are you afraid of being bit by a dog? Have you ever been bit by an animal
or person?
A bite of the cherry (have a piece or part of
something good, often only a few available)
Have/Grab a bite to eat
His bark is worse than his bite
A barking dog never bites
Bite back
Bite off; Bit off (Bite off a piece of the meat.)
Bite off more than one can chew (to take
(on) more than one can deal with; to take a
larger mouthful of food than one can chew
easily.)
Bite on (Are the fish biting on this today?)
Bite the big one (to die)
Bite the bullet (to die – wounded soldiers
would bite a bullet to ease the pain before
anesthetics. )
Bite the dust (to die- fall to the ground
wounded or dead.)
Bite the hand that feeds
Bite the ice! (Go to hell!)
Bite your head off (to speak sharply and with
great anger to someone.)
Bite into something
Bite me! (The same as "blow me," "eat me,"
etc. - sexually insulting)
Bite your nails
Bite your tongue! (to literally bite your
tongue, or to keep silent)
Come back to bite you
Has more bark than bite
I'll /He’ll bite (to answer, take the bait)
Put the bite on someone (to try to get money
from someone.)
Take a bite out of [this apple]
Won't bite (doesn’t take the bait)
1. What are talents? What are skills? What are gifts? What are abilities?

2. Make a list of the things you are good at doing. What do you hope to do with your talents, skills,
gifts, and abilities?

3. What is a talent show? Have you ever taken part in one? Describe your performance.

4. Is there anything that you especially have a knack for, or a propensity for?

5. Are you a person of know-how (i.e., perhaps you have business know-how, technological
know-how, parenting know-how, etc.) or savvy (i.e., you are business savvy, technologically
savvy, etc.)? What do you know how to do?

6. Does anyone ever call you a know-it-all? What does this mean?

7. What do you want to develop more of?

8. How long does it take for you to get the hang of something?

9. Why would someone say you have a gifting for doing something? Do you think our abilities are
gifts given to us (i.e., from the gods/a god) or from our parents (i.e., genetic abilities), from our
environment (i.e., social class and education) or perhaps we developed them in another life (i.e.,
past lives)?

10. Why are some people naturally talented at science, math, and technology, while others are
naturally talented in art, language, music, writing, etc.? Have you ever met someone talented in
both, (i.e., they were both left brained and right brained)?

11. What is a genius or someone who is ingenious (from M.Fr. + L., lit. "that which is inborn," from
in- "in" + gen- "produce.")? Is a genius born or does a genius make themselves? Do you think
anyone can be a genius? Do you think one day you can be a genius? Explain.

12. Do you think you can one day be perfect, or perhaps reach higher and higher levels of
perfection?
I can get along with anyone.
I am a total optimist, my glass is always half full.
I always see the silver lining, or at least rationalize that its there. (Silver lining: A hopeful or comforting
prospect in the midst of difficulty. From the proverb “Every cloud has a silver lining”.)

I can calm people down when they are freaking out.

I am intelligent.
I am creative.
I am honest.
I am dependable.

I put my all into whatever I'm doing.

I have carpentry skills.
I have computer skills.
I have a lot of patience.
I can learn anything I set my mind to.

I have excellent grammar, when I want to use it

I have an eye for color.
I am a good baker.
I work well with children.
I have a funny talent for being able to read people and tell what kind of person they are the first time I
meet them.

I've learned to trust my gut instinct.

I'm very loyal.
I work well with my hands.
I am very tolerant to strange weather.
I like to sew and quilt, and am reasonably good at it.

I love to garden and grow my own food.

I love working outside in the summer.
I love animals and working with them (but no bugs!)
I love learning new things.

I love making things.

I have a very mild temperament (tolerant) and don't get angry very easily.
I have a way of infectiously making everyone around me smile.
I'm very positive and upbeat.

I am humble
I am a good artist.
I am a great teacher.
I have a great sense of humor and have the ability to lighten up some very heavy situations.
I am intelligent (and I am ok with sometimes misspelling things).
I am compassionate and sincere.
I am aware, awake and alive.
I have a wide field of knowledge, and continue to expand it daily.
I can figure things out... mechanically and mentally. (e.g. the Rubik’s cube)
I am grateful.

I am aware of my interactions and reactions to new and perhaps fearful situations.

I keep myself in good shape and am attractive (at least my mom says so...)
I can cut to the core of things, and do when required; but don't mind taking a more scenic,
circumnavigational view.

I can walk on my hands for up to 15 feet.

I can design and build a house from concept to completion.
I can dance and sing in ways that are pleasing to me (no guarantee to those watching/listening)
I can create a wonderful, tasty and beautifully presented meal.
I can weld.

I can arrange flowers.

I have written proposals and received grants to do my work.
I am convinced that I can make the world a better place, and am certain that it is not just "a phase" that
my elders always tried to convince me I was going through.
I don't "believe" easily... but I have tremendous faith.
I have a great juggling act.
Talking to Strangers

OPENING QUESTIONS:
What are Strangers?
Do you ever break out in a cold sweat when talking to new people?
Do you ever feel it is difficult to fit in?
Do you ever feel there is too much pressure to impress?
Are first impression(s) important? Why?
Do usually make the first move or wait for others to do so?
What are some starting remarks or ways to break the ice?
What gets the conversational ball rolling?
What are neutral topics? What topics are off limits?
Have you ever started a conversation with a stranger using your immediate surrounding or
props?
If you feel nervous, awkward, shy, or uncomfortable when talking to strangers or other people,
what can be done?
Do you believe new behaviors can become second nature to you?
Do you talk to strangers? Do you make it a habit to talk to a new person all the time or rarely
ever?

“Never Talk to Strangers!!!” Commonly said to young children in western countries

by their parents who have a “Better safe than sorry” attitude.

We live in a society that fears strangers, particularly in regard to our children.

(Ironically, statistics show us that strangers aren't the ones we need to fear most --
but that's another matter.) There's good reason for this fear: the innumerable news
reports of kidnapping and abuse and killings, the lost faces that look out at us from
the sides of milk cartons. In preschool the children are given instructions on what to
do if a stranger offers them candy or a ride: kick, scream loudly for help, run to your
house or a known adult as fast as you can.

---In America, people will get very upset if you touch their children without them
knowing or asking. This is a very sensitive issue. How are things the same or
different in China?

Here's a very important lesson to learn about making conversation with people:
Insisting to yourself that you have to be brilliant and dazzling in all your
conversations will not win you new friends. It will not even improve your
conversational performance. For conversational success, it's more important to be a
good listener than to be a great talker.

Do you agree with these statements about being a good conversationalist?

The Grass Is Always Greener on the Other Side

The grass is always greener (on the other side of the fence).
something that you say which means that other people always seem to be in a better situation
than you, although they may not be. And when I haven't been out for a while I start to envy
Miriam with her great social life. Oh well, the grass is always greener.

What are some descriptors of the “greener grass”

1. A mowed lawn vs. long grass or “a jungle”
2. the leaves are raked vs. leaves being all over the grass
3. All the weeds are pulled vs. there are weeds in the grass and garden.
4. The lawn is fresh, green, and lively vs. the lawn being dry, brown, and dying.
5. The lawn is edged, or cut on the sides vs. the lawn is growing over the edges.

Vocabulary:
Lawn, jungle, leaves, raked, weeds, garden, grass, edged,
Fixed number, unlimited number,

Questions:

1. Why do we wish for things we don't have?

2. Have you ever had a wish come true?
3. Have you ever had a wish come true and later wished that it hadn’t?
4. If you had the choice between a fixed number of wishes or an unlimited number of wishes
which would you choose?
5. Would you be happy in life if everything was easy? Do we, at heart, desire things to be
challenging and difficult?
Vehicles in America
Questions:

1. Which car do you think is the craziest, the weirdest, or the funniest?
2. Do you think the kind of car you drive is important? Would you drive a junkard, (a piece of junk,
or junkyard car) a used car or a new car?
3. What style of car might you choose: a jacked up/raised vehicle, lowered car/truck/vehicle,
super duty truck, convertible car, hot car, old car, hot rod, muscle car, futuristic car, gangsta
(gangster) car?
4. What accessories (tinted windows, rims, sun roof, etc.) would you want to put on your car?
5. Would you want to drive a big car, small car, fuel efficient car, or fancy car?
6. Do you think Americans go overboard (out of control or over the top) with
their cars?
7. What is most important in a car: Style, safety (air bags, seat belts, rear view
mirror), cost, brand name, etc.?
8. What do you think of bumper stickers and bumper sticker madness?
9. Do babies and young children in China ride in cars with safety seats? Should they?
10. Would you ever pimp your ride or get it pimped out? (A pimp is a ladies man)
11. If you could drive anywhere right now, and go on a road trip, where would you drive?
12. Do you think it is important to drive energy saving cars, energy efficient cars, or hybrid cars?
13. Would you be interested in seeing a monster truck show, where trucks drive over cars and
smash them?
Weather

Questions

1. What is the weather like today? How was it yesterday? What did you do? What did you wear?
2. What do you predict the weather will be like tomorrow? Do you know the weather forecast and do you
pay attention to it on a daily basis or just look out the window?
3. What is your favorite kind of weather or ideal weather conditions? Explain why. (e.g., sunny, rainy,
overcast / cloudy, windy, light breeze, fair skies, drizzling, is snowing, etc.)
4. Which weather conditions are you most scared of? (e.g., thunderstorms, stormy weather, sudden
downpour, hurricane, thunder and lightning, hail storm, tornado, fire storm, etc.)
5. Have you ever been caught off guard by the changing weather or a freak weather storm? Did you
experience any discomfort or a disaster?
6. What would you do in the following weather conditions:
a. You live near the mountains. The rain is coming down in bucket loads. You are afraid of mudslides.
You put sand bags around your house, but the water and mud keeps getting higher. Do you stay
or leave?
b. The street is flooded that goes to your work. You need to drive across that street to get to work.
You have an important meeting and don’t want to be late, or miss it. Do you risk losing your car
and possibly your life to get to work?
c. You are in a bus or long distance bus. The bus driver is driving in poor and perhaps unsafe weather
conditions and won’t stop. What do you do?
d. You spent a lot of money for a vacation. The weather forecast predicts stormy weather and a
severe snow storm. Do you stay home and lose your money, or go anyways?
e. There is a strong gale, and gusts of wind. Because of the windstorm there are also sandstorms.
Do you venture or go outside? Why would or wouldn’t you stay?
f. The ground is slippery when wet. You are late. Do you run? Have you run before?
7. What will you wear or use in a rain storm: raincoat, poncho, hold an umbrella, rain shoes / galoshes (to
walk through puddles), or wear nothing (you enjoy getting soaking wet).
8. Have you ever gotten a sun tan or sun burn? Do you bask in the sun or avoid it? Do you desire tan or pale
skin? (Use either sun block or suntan lotion) Explain why?
9. If you had to choose between living in a place known for droughts, firestorms, flashfloods, and hot
temperatures, or, cold temperatures in winter and humid in spring and summer, excessive rainfall, and
flooding, which of the two do you choose?
10. Which of the activities do enjoy the most or want to do?
a. Snow: skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snow sled, make a snowman, igloo,
b. Wind: fly a kite,
c. Rain: walk under an umbrella with your boyfriend or girlfriend
d. Clear skies / Sunny day: go to the beach, the park, or have a picnic
e. Other: ____________________________________________
Wishes and Lucky Charms

• What are three wishes you have for your life?

o If you could choose only one of these to come true, which would
it be and why?
o What would be some positive and negative consequences
(results) if each of these wishes came true?
• What other wishes do you have for yourself? What wishes do your
parents have for you? Are they the same?
• What wishes do you have for your country? For your family members?
For your classmates? For your roommates?
• How have your wishes changed since you were young?
• When you were young, how did you answer this questions: "What do
you want to be when you grow up?"
• Have you ever had a wish come true? Was it what you always wanted?
• Why do we wish for things we don't have?
• Have you ever: wished upon a star,
star a.) a wishing well,
well b.) a wish
bone,
bone a wishing tree,
tree c.) when blowing out the candles on a birthday
cake,
cake d.) when blowing a dandelion,
dandelion e.) when crossing your fingers
or praying,
praying f.) when throwing or tossing loose change into a wishing
pond,
pond g.) when you close your eyes,
eyes h.) or when clicking your heels
together.
together
• Do you believe in lucky charms,
charms like i.) rabbits feet,
feet j.) four
leaf clovers,
clovers k.) charm bracelet,
bracelet l.) dream catcher,
catcher etc.