2016研究生口语测试话题

1、1. Across the world, advocates of liberal arts education criticize the educational formats and curriculums of other degree programs for their over-emphasis of technical capabilities while neglecting other vital skills. What advantages can students get from taking the courses in the humanities（人文学科）?

2、 Why are there more science majors than liberal arts majors （文科生）in college today? Should schools give more support to the study of the humanities? Among the humanities subjects, philosophy, literature, art, music, history, logics, rhetoric, which are you interested in? What are the most significant

3、 things you have learnt from being exposed to a wide range of subjects weve been talking about this semester? (for reference: Study of humanities is generally believed to be meaningful in helping students gain the following abilities: Analytical, evaluative, critical and creative thinking skills; Ef

4、fective oral and written communication skills; Problem-solving and pattern intelligence skills; Ability to learn and synthesize new ideas; Experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis; Critical and reflective reading skills; Numerical skills; Effective research skills; Organization and t

5、ime-management skills; Information literacy skills; Ability to adapt easily to situations; Ethical decision-making skills; Ability to pose meaningful questions; Ability to work in a team; Self-confidence and self-understanding; Ability to be sensitive to others and be tolerant of cultural difference

6、s; Foreign language skills and cross-cultural knowledge)2. Can you recite one representative poem concerning the subject of love? (Chinese, English both ok) What are the important qualities an ideal date should possess? Which factors should be taken into account when it comes to marriage? ( refer to

7、 three influential literature classics: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensitivity理智与情感, Jane Eyre简爱，The Dream of Red Mansion红楼梦, recommended by students.) Do you accept the idea of moving together with your dates before marriage? How do you look at “naked” marriage? Will you choose “naked marriage”

8、? Do you favor prenuptial agreement, why or why not? What do you think are the main reasons for rising divorce rates among young couples? 3.Minimalism（极简主义）is about getting rid of excess stuff and keeping only what you need. Minimalists lifestyle is to live with as less as possible, mentally and phy

9、sically, leading a meaning and deliberate life, thus creating peace of mind, as Henry Thoreau did years ago. (refer to lines from the movie “Dead Poets Society: “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all t

10、hat was not life, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived”This part is from Henry Thoreaus Walden瓦尔登湖，a book recommended by students. You can also refer to Dao De Jing ). Are you a minimalist? Do you approve of a minimalists lifestyle? How do you interpret “less is more”? In a

11、ddition to its application to daily life, how does minimalism find application and expression in creative disciplines, like art, architecture, design, dance, film, music, photography and so on? Give examples to illustrate your point. 4. To your best knowledge, what are the differences between men an

12、d women when it comes to their respective working styles and life habits? Whats your opinion about the contribution a housewife makes to her family? Do you agree with view that men carry more weight in life than women? Why or why not? Do you think gender inequality exists in China today? If yes, wha

13、t do you suggest to solve the problem? What do you think is an ideal relationship between husbands and wives in modern families? (refer to two TED lectures on gender equality). 5. How do you understand the remark “Its not how many times you fall down that matters. Its how many times you get back up

14、that makes success!” Can you name other important components for the secrets of success? (refer to a TED lecture “ eight secrets of success” “ Grit” ) Do you agree that there are times when its simply better to give up? (refer to 牧羊少年奇幻之旅，The Alchemist) . How can we avoid wasting time and energy in

15、achieving success? (refer to a TED lecture about time management). How do you understand “chance favors the prepared”? Summarize the qualities and personalities that make the person a successful one whom you admire the most. (refer to a documentary about Jordan. ) What stands in your way of pursuing

16、 your dreams and how do you handle it? 6. Which domestic place is your ideal travel destination? And why? (refer to BBC documentary Wild China) Which foreign place is the destination you dream of visiting? Why? And what preparations should you make beforehand? (refer to BBC documentary Planet Earth)

17、 What is the most useful purpose of travel in your opinion? Do you agree that modern conveniences have isolated us from nature, why or why not? Do you agree that cultural differences are the biggest barriers in travel? Why or why not? Can travel affect our personalities? If so, how? How do you see C

18、hinese peoples uncivilized behaviors when travelling abroad? What do you think we should do to promote a more positive profile of Chinese travelers? 7. What are the traditional culture elements you feel most proud of and deem it necessary to retain (refer to Analects of Confucius, The Doctrine of th

19、e Mean, Dao De Jing)? To your knowledge, what are the foreigners stereotyped prejudices against Chinese? Give examples to illustrate your point. What are Chinese peoples widely-held prejudices and misunderstandings of the westerners? Give one example to illustrate your point. If you are going to liv

20、e in a foreign country for a number of years, are you going to adapt your behaviors and manners to the culture of that country or to stick to the norms of your own culture? Suppose your American businessman friend is to ask you for some advice and knowledge about Chinese culture, what information do

21、 you think is necessary for them to know? With the development of our countrys economy and the rise of her international status in recent years, Chinese cultural elements provide inspiration for and become popular subjects of fashions, literature, movies and various designs around the world. Its in

22、this context that China decides to implement the Culture Exporting “文化走出去”strategy so as to enhance her cultural exchanges with the rest of the world. How is this strategy going on and what do you think we can do to better promote it? 8. What nature-related disasters are brought about by human activ

23、ities? Are there any ways to reduce such disasters?Earth provides enough to satisfy every mans need, but not every mans greed. How do you understand this line by Mahatma Gandhi? What do you think is the relationship between man and nature? What environmental problems does China face? What are the ca

24、uses of these problems? There are conflicts between economic development and environmental protection. How should we balance the two and ensure sustainable development? (refer to all the TED lectures concerning environment issues.). In Bhutan, the government introduces NHI (National Happiness Index)

25、 as a measurement to assess the growth of a country. Do you think it necessary and feasible to incorporate NHI into GDP to measure Chinas growth? 9. Do you think the world will experience an energy crisis in the near future? Why or why not? What problems may occur if there is an energy crisis? World

26、 oil prices are changing all the time. What do you think are the key factors that cause the changes of oil prices? What are the main renewable sources of energy and what are their respective drawbacks? As majors of architecture and civil engineering, how will you better design office buildings or residence apartments to make them more energy-saving? s responsible citizens，what ca