1.

IN WHAT WAY DOES YOUR LIFE STYLE AND VALUES DIFFER FROM

THE ONES THAT YOUR PARENTS HAVE?

My parents compare their childhood and youth with the present, and regard the old

times as better, always talking about “ The good old days”. But I think that my times are the
best because we live in more civilized and modern society. Young people just like me look at
the world with a fresh view. Everything for me is new, interesting and I have to try everything
to know what is best for me. My parents claim that I am better educated today, but they forget
about all the years of work under constant pressure of competition and fear of examinations
that today generations has to suffer. But I have to admit that nowadays there is no problem of
choosing a school because their number grew. My parents also complain about the appearance
of the young, scruffy clothes, too short skirts on girls, heavy make up..

My life style differs a lot from the life style of my parents because they are more

responsible, have more duties, are mature and often bored with their life. Maby because they
have been disappointed by it many times and they are more experienced than me. My attitude
to life is totally different because I don’t live in the past. I want to grasp the moment and
choose it wisely. My time is now and I want to do what ever I like.

For my parents the most valuable thing is their family and work. Because I don’t have

family yet, for me the most important thing is ending this school, my friends, family and
having good time. I also want to have a regular job but mostly I’m focused on the life of a
student.

A generation gap is something that we can’t overcome but despite all differences we

respect and love each other.

2.

DO YOU THINK THAT IN THE FUTURE WE WILL LIVE BETTER AND

EASIER?

I think that in the future our life will be much easier and better because it will be more

modern. I believe that many of our questions as far as health, universe and technology are
concerned, will be answered. We will know more and we will have the technology to use this
knowledge to protect our selves from many things such as diseases, natural catastrophes and
maby even death. I think that thanks to modern technologies traveling will be easier than it is
now. There will be no borders of the countries and whole world will be like a big country. I
hope that in the future the work that we do will be easier thanks to new inventions and robots.
Work hours will be shortened and we will work in our homes in front of a computer so we
will work when ever we like and we will have more time to spend with our families and
friends.

3.

DO YOU THINK THAT IT IS BETTER TO LIVE IN A CITY OR IN A

VILLAGE?

Living in the country is peaceful and quiet. People are close to nature and have a

peaceful life surrounded by trees and farm animals. But I think that it is better to live in a city
because in the country everybody knows each other and gossip very often and there is nothing
to do. I just can’t imagine living anywhere else than in the city because I have access to wide
range of cultural events. In a city I can go to the cinema, theatre, to a concert, to a party to the
club, so it is easy to be up-to-date with the latest cultural events. There are many possibilities

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to attend to good schools at high levels. Also, in a city there are many bookshops and
libraries, so it is easier for people like me to get the materials they need. I also think that after
graduating from my school it will be easier to find a well paid job in the city. In the country
people are working usually in small shops while in the city many different companies need
various specialists. It is always good to live in the city you work in, or where you want to
work. I think that living in a city gives a lot of advantages to develop in every field.
4.

WHY DOES PEOPLE SPEND THEIR HOLIDAYS ABROAD?

Nowadays it is common that people go abroad to spend their holidays. Some of them

visit foreign countries to travel and to have a nice time relaxing but some of them, mostly
young people, go there to find a job and to earn money.

Those who visit other countries in holiday time do it to go see sighting and mostly for

tourism. They visit places such as Rome or Venice to admire architecture different than it is in
their mother country. They want to go somewhere where it’s hot to sunbathe at the beach and
swim at day time and afterwards they go to the city where they stay to see old monuments,
take some photos and eat at restaurants.

Other people choose mountains abroad to go skiing or snowboarding, climbing and to

admire beautiful views from the top of the mountain.

When people go abroad they are curious what do foreigners eat, what is their culture

and history. They want to see different people and get to know them. They are curious about
new language and different culture.

Still there are many young people who go abroad during the summer time to earn

money. For them this trip is not only a time of traveling and visiting many interesting places
but also they go to a foreign country to work out of necessity.

5.

WHAT IN YOUR OPINION IS THE PLAGUE OF THE 21 CENTURY?

In my opinion the plague of the 21 century is drug addiction. Young people are

exposed to this threat more than they used to be. When people try it once or twice a cigarette
with narcotic inside, then they change and day by day they become totally dependent on this
deathly habit. The young look for some supernatural experiences, they hope to find sense of
life, pleasure and happiness in taking drugs, and they do not even notice how quickly they fall
into addiction.

Nowadays in Poland younger people for example in gymnasium also take drugs

because they want to be liked and seen as mature. Young people don’t know how to say no to
drugs and are under strong influence of their addicted friends. What is strange about it, that
head masters and teachers don’t pay much attention to this phenomena and there are no
lessons on this subjects. People treat this as a taboo topic which should not been discussed. In
fact we should do something about it because this addiction leads to a total disaster for an
addicted person and his family.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

1. WITH WHOM DO YOU LIVE?

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I live in Plock in one of the dormitories. I live on the fifth (seventh/eighth) floor with

my roommate and we share one room. I live with that boy for about 3 years now and we
became friends from the start. His name is Artur and he is at my age. He is tall, has dark hair
and blue eyes. He is talkative and very outgoing person and all girls consider him being
handsome. Artur is also a good friend. He gives me many advises and helps me with my
homework. He is better in math than I am so he helps me a lot.
From the beginning of our friendship we have done a lot of things together. We are in the
same class and we sit next to each other. I can call him a real friend because I know almost
everything about him now since we are living together.
Sometimes when we have free time for example at weekends we go for a walk to see what is
happening around the city. Artur is a busy person so we spend our time in active way and we
never get bored. He is wonderful roommate and I’m happy that I have met him because I was
afraid that I will share my room with somebody who is not interested in me.

2. DO YOU HAVE A BIG FAMILY?

My family is not big. I have a mother, father, brother and a sister. We live together

near Plock. My mom is 50 years old and her name is Ann. She has a small shop in our town
and she sells daily products such as vegetables, fruits, meet, cheese or bread. My father is
older than my mother. He is 52 years old. His name is Andrew. He helps my mother in the
shop. He works as a driver and brings products from Plock to our shop. But also he is a
mechanic and he has his own workshop in our town. My brother is older than me. He is 25
years old. His name is Mark. He works in Płock as a bank manager. He is always busy so we
don’t see each other very often. My sister is 18 years old. Her name is Martha. She wrote her
matriculation examinations this year and she is thinking where to study now. She is ambitious
and hard working so I know that she will study wherever she wants. Even though my family
is not big we love and treat each other with respect. In bad times I know that I can always
count on them and opposite. Together we like to spend our time with our grand parents.

3.

DO YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY?
In the past I used to spend a lot of time with my family because I lived with them and

shared the same space. But now when I live in Płock I can’t spend as much time as it used to
be because from Monday to Friday I have to go to school. After my lessons I have to do my
homework till late hours. That’s why I visit my parents only at weekends. But when I go
there, I spend all my free time helping my parents in house work and chatting with my brother
and sister. I wish I could visit them more often but now I just don’t have enough time. I love
my family very much and I like spending my time with them. Being here I miss them very
much.

4.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMBER OF THE FAMILY?
My favorite member of the family is my younger sister. Her name is Martha and she is

18 years old. She lives in my home town with my family and I don’t see her very often but we
call each other every day and we send a lot of short text messages during the day.
She has long dark hair and blue eyes, she is very pretty. She likes to wear dresses. She loves
to read, she has a lot of books of her own.

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She is my favorite member of the family because she is very intelligent smart and

responsible. I think that she is more mature than me!

When she meets new person she is a little bit shy at the beginning but after a while she

shines in the group of people.

Also, I admire my sister because she has time for family life, friends and gain success

in her school. She is full of ambition. She is rather down to earth and she gives me advices
very often. I can call her a friend because she is always supporting me in every situation.

I believe that one day when she will meet the right boy, he will be lucky because it is

the most wonderful person I know.

5.

DO YOU ENJOY BEING ALONE?

I’m a busy person and I like to spend my time in active way but there are moments in my life
when I prefer to be alone. Sometimes I don’t have the mood to spend my time with friends
and I lock in my room thinking about my life and problems. Then I listen to music or
sometimes I read books in order not to think too much. When I sit alone in my room that
means I am depressed. Mostly I share my problems with my friends but sometimes when I am
blue I prefer to stay by my self in the dark to think things over.

6.

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LIKE? DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC A

LOT AND IN WHAT OCCASIONS?

I like listening to music because it always fit into my mood. If I am happy, I listen to

club music which makes me more active. When I am depressed I listen to sad pop songs about
unhappy love, etc. Sometimes I’m angry so I choose harder music which I can listen to very
loud. My best kind of music is club music, because it makes me happy and while listening I
have always a good mood. Club music reminds me parties with my friends and pleasant
atmosphere.

I can say that I listen to music all the time in my room. When I study I listen to it,

when I eat or sleep it doesn’t bothers me at all. When I’m on my way to the school, I always
listen to the radio in my phone.

I like to be surrounded by music that’s why I also go to the club to listen to it. I like to

be up-to-date with new songs and I enjoy the atmosphere in clubs where everybody have a
good time.
In my opinion music unites people.

7.

DO YOU LIKE CONCERTS? WHY/WHY NOT?
I enjoy concerts very much. I like them for their special atmosphere full of life. I like

concerts with famous rock stars because there I can meet many people who also share the
same passion about this kind of music. I have many friends who go with me on a concert. We
have a lot of fun singing the lyrics with the rest of the audience. All the people at a concert
unite together and have a good fun. Everybody knows the words of the songs and all people
sing together with a singer.

8.

DO YOU PLAY COMPUTER GAMES?

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Nowadays computer games are more sophisticated than those from the past. There are

action games, combat games, tactic games, races, sports games and funny games to entertain.
My favourite game is “ Heroes of might and magic”. This is more a tactic game in which you
have to collect wood or gold in order to build an army. What is also interesting, I have to fight
with many warriors and animals. I can even have a dragon in my army.

It isn’t true that computer games are a waste of time. There are a lot of games where

you have to think in order to win. I like new games because the characters look like real
people. Nowadays games are becoming better and better and give a lot of opportunities. For
example being a manager of a football team or have a ride in an expensive car.

9.

DO YOU LIKE TRAVELING? WHAT KIND OF PLACES YOU LIKE TO

VISIT?

I love to travel because then I can relax enjoying myself but I have only two months of

holidays to go somewhere to visit. I like to visit the seaside because I like to swim a lot. I also
like to go near the lake with my friends where I can sunbathe and make a bone fire. I also
enjoy visiting Polish mountains. I like to breathe with clean air and admire beautiful views.

Sometimes, if I have money, I go abroad. I like to travel to foreign countries because I

can learn something new about culture, language and I can see sight to capture the moment.
I like to make friends all over the world but there is still so many things to see in Poland.

10.

DO YOU WATCH TV VERY OFTEN? WHAT PROGAMS YOU ENJOY

WATCHING? WHY?

There are many kinds of programs: chat shows, reality shows, TV games, educational

programs and so on. I like to watch them to be entertained and to get more knowledge about
different things.
I watch TV every day because I like to be informed about everyday news and be entertained
by films and programs. I enjoy watching the news and I do it every day to know what is
happening in my country and all over the world. Also I like chat shows, for example Szymon
Majewski Show, because it’s amusing and funny.

I have to admit that Discovery channel provides me with the best programs which I’m

interested in. For example there is a program HOW IT’S MADE where I can see how people
make jeans or golf balls step by step. I like those kind of programs because I can learn thanks
to them more about things that surround me.

11.

DO YOU LISTEN TO THE RADIO? WHAT STATIONS?
Mostly I listen to the radio in the evenings or when I go to school. I like many stations

because I like to listen to music very much. But also I like to listen to the news and weather
forecast to know what is going on and what the weather will be like in future times. I also like
to listen to a program where the speaker reads a book. It is very entertaining because I don’t
have to hurt my eyes, I can relax, lay down and just listen.

12.

WHY DO YOU USE THE INTERNET FOR?

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The internet is spreading all over the world making it easier to talk with somebody

who is even in other country. The internet is a place where everyone can meet, but also it is a
source of information.

I use the internet mainly to watch films and listen to latest hits of music. But from time

to time I attend to chat rooms to meet my friends from my home town. The internet is also a
place where I usually buy or sell things. On the site ALLEGRO I can pursue or sell
unnecessary things to earn some money.

Also I use the internet to be up-to-date with the daily news. Sometimes I use the

internet to educational purposes. I exchange notes with my friends sending it on e-mails.

13.

HOW YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN 20 YEARS TIME?
I believe that in the future, in 20 years time, I will be already married with a beautiful,

intelligent and smart woman, and I will have children. I would like to have two of them : a
boy and a girl. I hope to live in a big city such as Toruń or Poznań and earn money there. I
want to be rich enough to pay for the rent, send children to school, buy a house and a sports
car of my dream. In 20 years time I will probably have my own company which would offer
building houses and skyscrapers.

I think that in 20 years time I will be more mature and focused on my family life and

work. Now I try to live for the moment. I believe that in the future I will think about this place
and my studies and probably it would be the best time of my life and I will never forget about
the atmosphere in this city.

14.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WON A MILION EURO?
If I won a million euro I would buy a beautiful house near the city and expensive

sports car. Also I would spend my money on the trip all over the world. I would like to travel
to each country by plane and stay in expensive hotels. I would also like to get relaxed in
exotic countries. Being so rich I would buy me some new and expensive clothes.

If I were so rich, I would invest some of those money on my own company. I would

spend my money on advertising it so it would bring me profit one day.

15.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK FOR BIG COMPANY? WHY?
I would like to work in a big company because there I would have more opportunities

to develop my skills and abilities. Also I’m of the opinion that in bigger companies people
have bigger motivation because there is more competition going on.

Big companies pay a lot more than smaller ones because they work on a large scale. I

would like to work at a place where I could get a promotion to develop and earn more.

16.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE YOUR OWN COMPANY?
Someday I believe that I will have my own company. If I wont have enough money to

start my business I will certainly borrow some from the bank. I want to have a company
which would fulfill the needs of my clients. I want to build houses and skyscrapers.

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Nowadays there aren’t enough specialists of architecture that’s why I know that it will

be profitable enterprise.

17.

DO YOU THINK THAT IN YOUR PROFESSION IT WILL BE EASY TO

FIND A JOB IN THE FUTURE?

Nowadays more and more people leave Poland to go abroad to have better salaries and

to earn more. I believe that I will work due to my profession because nowadays there aren’t
many specialist in my field. Everybody went to countries such as Great Britain, France,
Belgium or Germany. I want to have my own company. I want to stay in Poland and build
houses. There aren’t many qualified architects that’s why I believe that I will make my
enterprise profitable.

18.

WHEN YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FAMILY?
Having a family it’s a great responsibility and when people decide to do it they have to

sacrifice many things to live and be together. I would like to get married when I will graduate
from my University. I would like to earn some money on my wedding day so that my parents
wouldn’t have to worry about it. I would like to have children at the age of 27 because I think
I will be mature enough to carry this responsibility. I believe that I will make an honest living
for me and my family and I know that I will try as hard as it is possible to provide them with
everything needed.

19.

WHICH SEASON YOU LIKE BEST AND WHY?

The season which I like best is summer time. I like summer because it is the time when I have
holidays, so I can relax, having good time with my friends and family. The summer is also the
best time of the year because it is usually hot and sunny, so I can do many things outdoors. In
the summer time I can also travel a lot. I like traveling because I can meet many interesting
people and visit places which I have never seen before. I can go sight seeing, I can sunbathe,
swim in the sea or have a walk in the mountains. I love summer because it is the only time
when I can finally relax doing nothing at all.

20.

DO YOU THINK THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD LEARN A FOREIGN

LANGUAGE? WHICH ONE?

I believe that everybody should learn a foreign language not only because it is

important to get a job, but also it is good to know the other language and culture. People
should want to know more about others, about foreigners who eat different things and have
different historical past. I think that everybody should know at least one, foreign language. If
we study other languages it means that we are open minded and curious about other
nationalities. In my opinion everybody should learn English. This language is not only simple
to learn but also pleasurable. People who know English have a lot of opportunities and they
will probably earn more than ones, who don’t know it.

Learning other languages gives a lot of chances. It can be used not only for learning

itself but mostly to use this language in conversation or at work.

21.

DO YOU ENJOY BEING A STUDENT?

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Being a student is not as easy as many people think it is. Even my parents wonder why

I complain so much. They forget about my duties, years of hard work under constant pressure
of competition and fear of examinations that I suffer from. Despite of all hard work I enjoy
being a student. I’m learning to become a specialist in the field that I have chosen myself, so I
do what I like best.

Here I’m also surrounded by people who are friendly, outgoing and sociable. I have

many friends here with whom I can always talk to.

In Plock I can also spend my time in many different ways. I can go to the cinema, to

the club, to the theatre, we have even a Zoo here, so I can do many different things here and I
never get bored.

Next thing which I enjoy is my place of living. I live in a dormitory in which many

young people, such as me, live and it is fun, because we have the same problems, similar likes
and dislikes.

Despite of hard work studying gives a lot of fun. Living in this city gave me a lot of

opportunities. But being a student does not only mean that I learn all the time. In my free time
I go to the club to meet my friends and relax having great time on a dance floor where I can
forget about my problems.

Being a student means also to be independent in some way. Students are not controlled

any more by parents and this is an opportunity to see how it feels to live on your own.

22.

WHAT DO YOU SPEND MONEY ON? IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SAVE

SOME MONEY?

Mostly I receive money from my parents and because I live in a dormitory, I have to

have some money not only to pay for the rent but also for everyday needs. I spend my money
mostly on food and xero copies. Also I spend some of them on cosmetics and cultural events
in the town. I like going to the cinema or to a concert. Sometimes when I’m in a hurry I spend
money on fast foods, but not very often.

At the beginning of each semester I also spend money on special tools which are

required in my school.

Due to the fact that my parents give me money I can’t say I save them because I don’t

have it too much. Nevertheless from time to time if I manage, I save some of money to buy
clothes or gadgets such as new mobile or new computer parts.

23. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO AT WEEKENDS?

Weekend is the time when we can

finally relax after a hard day. From Monday to Friday most of students are busy at school.
Sometimes I have to work or learn even at home, so I am pretty busy and do not have much
time for myself. But when the Friday evening comes I am free at last. At the weekend I visit
my friends because they make me feel relaxed. We go to the cinema or for a walk. I like
reading books so at the weekend I have a time to do this. Also I spend time with my family
because I haven’t much time for them during the week. On the Saturday me and my friends
go to the disco and we have a good fun.

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24. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IN THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND?

At the weekend I visited my friends because they makes me feel relaxed. We went

for a walk and then we went to the cinema because we like watching movies very much.
Afterwards, we went to the shopping center, we were walking around trying on clothes. I also
like reading books so almost all Sunday evening I spend on doing this. I was at the party and
I had a great fun there. On Sunday I also visited my family because I haven’t got much time
for them during the week. I like helping my mother in the kitchen so we cooked a delicious
meal for a dinner. I had a few problems with preparing it but it was delicious.

25. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WITH YOUR FRIENDS?

I am a sociable person so I have many friends. We like spending time together and

having fun. I like sport so we go to the swimming pool very often. Sometimes we take our
bikes and we go for a ride. There are many beautiful parks in my city so we go for a walk. I
like watching films so we often go to the cinema or watch them at home on TV. In the
evening we go to the disco where we can dance and have fun all night. We talk a lot with each
other about our problems and interests. Sometimes we talk about school but not too often
because it is stressful. I like my friends very much because they make me feel relaxed.

26. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FRIEND.
I have a best friend his name is Władek. He is at the same age that I am. He is tall and slim
and he has dark curly hair. He is a very nice and friendly boy. We do everything together and
we almost never quarrel. He likes to laugh and talk with me. We talk about everything: girls,
sport, politics. Sometimes we can spend all evening on doing it. He has the same interests that
I have. We cycle together, play football and computer games. I know him since I was a child.
I can always count on him, and when I have a problem he is the only person who can help me.
He is the best friend I ever had and I hope that we will be best friends for life.

27. DO YOU HELP IN THE HOUSE? IN WHAT WAYS? WHAT HOUSE DUTIES
DO YOU HAVE?
I help my parents in house duties but I don’t like to do this very much. I hate washing the
dishes, my mother knows it so she don’t makes me to do this. I like to sweeping and vaccume
cleaning because it is an easy work. I also clean the windows because I like when they are
clean. I like going for a walk with my dog because I am not at home then and I don’t have to
do anything. then I play with him and throw him sticks. I like to play fetch with my dog. One
of my house duties is throwing the garbage away, I don’t like it but I have to do this because
nobody except me will take care of it. My house duties are a part of my routine but I got used
to them.

28. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN THE EVENINGS?
In the evening I like to spend time with my friends but not always. sometimes we go to the
cinema to watch a horror movie or we go to the disco where we dance and have a really good
fun. I also like reading books lying in my bed or sitting in my favourite armchair. Sometimes I
talk with my parents about politics, we tell jokes and we have a good fun. I like computer
games so I often play on the computer. I like racing games and I can play them all night. In

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the evening I like also watching the television with my younger brother. Sometimes we play
chess or cards.

29. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE NEAREST WEEKEND?
At the next weekend I will probably do the same things that I do at all weekends. I will meet
with my friends. We will go for a walk to the park. I want to go to the cinema because there
will be a very good film. On Sunday I want to go to the swimming pool because I like
swimming very much and it keeps me in good shape. I will take my bike and go for a ride
because I haven’t done it for years. I also want to visit my parents because I want to go
fishing with my father and my younger brother. My most important plan for the next weekend
is go to the disco and dance and have a very good fun there. I want to meet with my friends
and spend the whole night dancing to the club music.

30. IF YOU WERE A POLITICIAN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO MAKE THE
WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN?

If I were a politician I would probably take more care about the environment, about poor
people all over the world and about unemployment.
I believe that nowadays people don’t pay much attention to environmental issues, because
they don’t think about dangers that pollution causes. The greenhouse effect may cause floods
by melting the icebergs which will be a disaster for all of us. People don’t care about forests
without which we won’t have enough clean air to breathe, and water pollution kills many fish
and sea life.
If I were a politician I would also spend more money on those who suffer from hunger or
don’t have enough money to live. I would impose higher taxes on those who are very wealthy
because even though they are rich they don’t see the need to share with the Poor ones. I would
take care of the Poor and provide them with food and place to stay.
I would also like to force the people who are in jail to work for the government for example in
such dangerous places as coal mines to get more money on Poor and sick people.
I think that there is many things to do to make the world we live in a better place to be, but
with a help of others we all are responsible for the world we inhabit.

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