Youth and old age

• Are young people generally more selfish than their parents and grandparents? Does age make you more aware of and caring for others?
• Should adults try to teach young people lessons, such as the dangers of drinking too much, taking drugs or catch the AIDS virus, or should they leave them alone to find out about these things themselves? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches?
• What do you think is the best age to be? Explain your opinion.
• Most countries give young people rights as they reach a certain age. For example, British people can legally make love or fight for their country at the age of 16; they can drink, vote and drive a car when they are 18. Does China have similar laws? Do you think that any of the age limits need changing?
• Some people think you should give something to society before you have the right to join it. Should young people have to do some form of military or community service by law?
• Should people of between 50 and 55 be forced to retire from their jobs in order to make way for younger workers?
• If people are still able to (and want to) work, should they have to retire when the reach a certain age? Explain your opinion.
• In most countries the legal retirement age for men is 5 years older than for women, even though women live longer than men on average. Why do you think this is? Is this fair, or should it be changed?
• Are there many things that the old can teach the young or are they hopelessly out of touch by the time they reach a certain age? What things were you taught by your older family members? How have they been useful to you in your life?
• In most countries, compulsory education is targeted at 5 - 16 year olds. Would it be better to offer it to pensioners who want to learn rather than young people who prefer not to be in school? Explain your opinion.
• In Russia, China and many other countries, there is a tradition of choosing leaders who are quite advanced in years. Do you think that older people make better leaders? Explain your opinion.
• One of Britain's best-ever leaders was William Pitt the younger, who became Prime Minister when he was 24 and remained in power for 18 years. Could this ever happen in China? Why/why not?
• Many elderly people have disabilities which limit their mobility. Do buses, shops and public buildings in your country provide easy access for the disabled or are your towns and cities designed mainly for the young and able-bodied? Why is this?
• Should the elderly be expected to pay for residential care out of their own savings or should appropriate accommodation and nursing be provided by the tax payer? Explain your opinion.
• Some people say that men age better than women, and remain attractive longer – do you agree? Explain your opinion.
• Some people say that men never grow up, they just get bigger – do you agree? Explain your opinion.
• Some people say that young women are usually 2 to 3 years more mature than young men – do you agree? Explain your opinion.
• In most countries women live an average of 5 to 6 years longer than men. Why do you think this is?
• In some countries having children is considered a way of "investing in the future", and young people are expected to give money to their parents when they get a job, and then to care for them when they retire. What are the good points and what are the bad points about this system?
• Many countries are facing the problem of an "aging population", i.e. there will soon be more old people than young people. What problems will this cause? What can be done to prepare for them?
• What do you think is the ideal age for each of these stages of your life: (Explain your opinion.)
• Starting School
• Starting Dating
• Leaving School/starting work
• Leaving your parents' home
• Getting Married
• Having a Child
• Retiring

Would you ever...?

Note: You can follow up most of these questions with a why or why not or with the question "In what situation(s) would you consider doing so?"

• Would you ever adopt a child?
• Would you ever give your child up for adoption?
• Would you ever cheat on your husband/wife?
• Would you ever consider being a criminal?
• Would you ever consider being a farmer?
• Would you ever consider moving to Africa?
• Would you ever consider getting plastic surgery?
• Would you ever defy your boss if he/she asked you to do something you didn't agree with?
• Would you ever donate a kidney or another vital organ?
• Would you ever donate blood?
• Would you ever drive a car if you had forgotten your license at home?
• Would you ever drive at night with only one headlight?
• Would you ever drive your car with a flat tire?
• Would you ever eat rat meat?
• Would you ever eat rice with sugar?
• Would you ever feed the animals at the zoo?
• Would you ever get hair implants?
• Would you ever give money to a charity?
• Would you ever give money to a panhandler? (a beggar)
• Would you ever go skinny dipping? (swim naked)
• Would you ever lie to your children?
• ... To your husband/wife?
• ... Your boyfriend/girlfriend?
• Would you ever marry someone your parents didn't approve of?
• Would you ever paint your living room black?
• Would you ever pick up a hitchhiker?
• Would you ever slap someone for something they said?
• Would you ever smoke in a no smoking area?
• Would you ever spank your child?
• Would you ever steal from your family or friends?
• Would you ever "take a bullet" for someone else?
• Would you ever walk downtown without any shoes on your feet?
• Would you ever walk home alone at night?
• ... In this country?
• ... In your own country?
• Would you eat a live cricket for $500? If not, how much would it take?
• Would you ever consider killing yourself?
• Would you divorce your husband/wife if your favorite celebrity wanted to marry you?
• Would you ever pull over and help someone on the side of the road?
• Do you think this could be dangerous to do?
• Would you ever say yes to someone even if you meant no?
• Would you ever donate an organ in order to save other person's life?
• Would you ever consider plastic surgery if a friend suggested it to you?
• Would you ever pretend to be someone (like a policeman, or a teacher, or a survey taker) just to get something that you wanted?

What if...?

• If you had only 24 hours to live, what would you do?
• If a classmate asked you for the answer to a question during an exam while the teacher was not looking, what would you do?
• If someone's underwear was showing, would you tell them?
• If the whole world were listening, what would you say?
• If you bumped your car into another car, but nobody saw you do it, would you leave your name and address?
• If you could ask God any one question, what would it be?
• If you could be a bird, what would you choose to be?
• If you could be a plant, what would you choose to be?
• If you could be a superhero, which one would you be?
• If you could be an animal, any animal, what animal would you be and why?
• If you could be an animal, what would you be?
• If you could be an animal, what would you choose to be?
• If you could be another man or woman for a day, who would you choose?
• If you could be another person for a day, who would you be?
• If you could be invisible for a day what would you do and why?
• If you could change one thing about your spouse or significant other, what would it be?
• If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
• If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
• If you could choose how you were going to die, what would you choose your death to be?
• If you could choose to live on a different planet, which one would you choose?
• If you could commit any crime and get away with it, what would you do?
• If you could date a celebrity, who would you choose?
• If you could have only one food for the rest of your life (assuming that this strange situation would not affect your health), which food would you choose?
• If you could hear what someone is thinking for a day, who would you choose?
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
• If you could meet any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
• If you could speak any other language (besides English) which language would you like to speak?
• If you could spend a day with any celebrity, who would it be and what questions would you ask that person?
• If you could take a vacation anywhere in the world for any length of time, where would you go?
• if you could go anywhere in the world for a holiday, where would you go?
• If you could travel back in time, where would you go?
• If you discovered a new island, what would you name it and why?
• If you found a suitcase full of $1,000,000, what would you do?
• If you found a wallet with £1,000 in it, what would you do?
• If you had 25-hour days (while everyone else continued to have 24-hour days), what would you do with the extra time?
• If you had one wish, what would it be?
• If you had the opportunity to be different, what would you change?
• If you had time machine, where would you go and why?
• 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?
• 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?
• If you had to choose, would you give up your sight or your hearing?
• If you received lottery tickets as a gift at the office party, and you won $30,000.00, would you share the winnings with the person that gave you the gift?
• If you saw a robbery, would you report it?
• If you saw your zipper was down and people had noticed, what would you do?
• If you speak two languages and your spouse (husband or wife) speaks only one, will you raise your children to be bilingual?
• If you were a candy, what candy would you be?
• If you were a monster, what monster would you be?
• If you were a toy, what toy would you be?
• If you were abducted by aliens, would you tell anybody? Why or why not?
• If you were American/Chinese/Mexican, how would your life be different?
• If you were asked to choose which time you would like to live in, which century would you choose?
• If you were asked to speak to a graduating class, what would you say?
• If you were given a chance to go to the moon, would you go? Why or why not?
• If you were given a choice between being given great wisdom or great wealth, which would you choose?
• If you were given an opportunity to be born again, in which country would you like to be born?
• If you were given an opportunity to be born again, what kind of person would you choose to be?
• If you were given one million dollars, what would you buy?
• If you were given the opportunity to be born again, how would you change how you lived?
• If you were given the opportunity to mold your partner the way you wanted, how would you mold your partner?
• If you were given three wishes, what would you wish for?
• If you were God, how would you transmit or let people know your message?
• If you were going to a deserted island and could only take three things with you, what would you take? Why?
• If you were invited to have tea with the Queen of England, what would say?
• if you were the leader of your country, what would you change?
• If you were the President, what problem or concern would you work on first?
• If you were to be stranded on an island, which 3 things would you bring with you?
• If you were told that you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
• If you were walking through the forest and you suddenly saw a tiger, what would you do?
• If you woke up suddenly because your house was on fire, which three things would you save as you ran outside?
• If you worked for a store and you saw another employee steal something, would you tell the manager?
• If your friend could not have a child, would you carry her child for her?
• If you saw someone in public with toilet paper stuck to their shoe, would you tell them?
• What kinds of problems would you have if you had to always tell the truth?
• 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?
• Your doctor has just told you that you have a month to live, what would you do in that stretch of time?
• If your doctor told you that you had only one month to live, how would you use the time left?
• What if you have to sacrifice yourself for the sake of saving your mother? What would you do?
• If you could be married with a foreign (man/woman), how do you think your life would change?
• If you had a chance to choose a poor (man/woman) as a (husband/wife) from your culture or a rich (man/woman) from another culture, which would you choose?
• If you got into traffic accident, what would you do at first?
• If you could be God, what would you do for humanity?
• If you could receive praise from a person, what person would it be?
• What kind of praise would you like to receive?
• If you were a color, what color would you be and why?
• If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be and why?
• If you had time machine and you could be transported to any time, the past or the future. What time would you choose?
• If you could ask an All-Knowing Being one question about life, what would it be?
• If you could live forever on earth as it is now, would you? Why or why not?
• If you could have a free chip put in your brain so that you would automatically be able to speak and understand another language besides English, which language would it be and why?
• You can ask current event questions using this pattern. However, depending on the class, you need to be careful about what kind of questions you ask.
• If the U.S. attacked North Korea, what would happen?
• etc.
• If you could not differenciate beautiful from ugly, how would choose your spouse? (Perhaps not an appropriate questions, but it was submitted.)
• What if your cell phone fell in the toilet, what would you do?