2BA Summer Semester Test Speaking Questions
2BA AMERICAN LITERATURE (J. Klagová)
2BA ALI 1: The Catcher in the Rye - the main character, his language, his relationships
Characterize Holden: what he is like, what types of relationships he has with other characters.
Analyze the language he uses, and discuss how the author uses the language to characterize
Holden. Why might this book have been banned?
2BA ALI 2: The Catcher in the Rye – symbols and themes, the language of the book
Discuss different symbols and themes used in the novel. What does phony mean for Holden?
What and who does Holden consider to be phony? What does the title of the book symbolize?
2BA ALI 3: The Great Gatsby – the historical context, characters
Discuss the historical context of the period in which it was written and how it is depicted in the
novel. Characterize Gatsby and other key characters. Is Gatsby great? Explain and support your
opinion.
2BA ALI 4: The Great Gatsby – symbols, themes, American Dream
Discuss different symbols and themes used in the novel. What is an American dream and how is
it portrayed in the book? What is the message of the book for you?
2BA ALI 5: The Crucible
Discuss the historical context of the period in which it was written (1950s), and what the author
wanted to point out through the historical theme of a witch hunt. the plot in 10 sentences and
explain who was responsible for the witch hunt. Discuss different themes used in the drama.
2BA PUBLIC SPEAKING (S. Stopper)
2BA PS 1: Presentation Types
What are the types of presentations/speeches we learned about? Briefly describe each one.
What types of situations would you use these speeches in? Give an example for each type of
speech.
2BA PS 2: Quality Speeches
Think about a speech from which you learned something - whether it be a useful skill, a
valuable life lesson, new facts, or something inspiring. Talk about that speech and describe what
the speaker did to grab and keep your attention. What about their speech inspired or
challenged you? What did you learn from this person and this speech? (This could be one of the
speeches we watched in class or any speech you have seen on your own.)
2BA PS 3: Body Language and Other Forms of Communication
Discuss these different aspects of public speaking:
- Body language
- Voice (intonation, volume, pitch, speed, etc.)
- Enthusiasm
- Words
Talking about these four aspects, describe how you should properly give a speech. What are the
"Dos of Presentations"? What are the "Don'ts of Presentations?" Give some examples of
recommended speaking practices, and tell us what you would not recommend.
2BA PS 4: Informative Speeches
What is an informative speech? Describe the structure of an informative speech. What is the 3Tell Method? Give an example of an informative speech using the proper structure. What is the
purpose of an informative speech, especially compared to other types of speeches? Talk about
your informative speech topic - why you chose it and how you presented it.
2BA PS 5: Public Readings
What 4 questions did we specifically study that one should consider before doing a public
reading? Why? What other things might one consider before doing a public reading and why?
You may give examples of how this applies to specific texts one might read in public.
2BA COURSEBOOK (S. Markowitz)
2BA CB 1: Relationships and Friendships
o Explain these sayings:
"Blood is thicker than water."
"A friend in need is a friend indeed."
"Like father, like son."
"No man is an island."
o Compare and contrast your relationship with one of your family members with your
relationship with one of your friends. Talk about things you do together.
o Compare a faithful companion, a passing acquaintance, and a fair-weather friend.
2BA CB 2: Immigration
o In general, what is life like for immigrants when they move to a new country? What kind of
problems do they face or encounter?
o Do you think immigrants should keep the values and customs of their home countries or
adopt those of their new country?
o How would you define the term "melting pot"?
o Is family a consideration for you in deciding where to live?
2BA CB 3: Storytelling
o Describe a book or a film you have enjoyed recently.
o What kind of films do you prefer watching? Which ones do you prefer not to watch?
o How important is the film industry in your country?
o Think of a traditional story or fairytale you know. Share the basic details of what happened.
2BA CB 4: Science and Technology
o What do you think will have happened in your life by the year 2050? What do think will be
happening in that year?
o Talk about the problems of big cities. What are the most prevalent issues in such large
cities? Are there any technological solutions to these problems?
o Give some examples of how technology has affected our history.
o What kind of information do you get through printed media vs. digital media?
o Define one of the following: "augmented reality" or "appropriate technology." Talk about
the usage and advantages/disadvantages of either of these.
2BA CB 5: Art and Creativity
o Talk about a few different genres of music that you know. Which types do you connect with
most and why?
o What are some examples of urban art? From what you know of urban art, do you think it is
beneficial? Why or why not? Do they generally contribute to a city or not?
o Does the type of art you like differ from your parents' generation? In what ways?
o "Art should be pleasing to the viewer." Agree or disagree.
2BA GLOBAL STUDIES (Z. Hardoš Kurnasová)
2BA GS 1: Culture and Stereotypes
Define what culture is, what components it is composed of – pick a culture and explain each
component on that example. What are stereotypes? Are they helpful or harmful – or both?
What are prejudices? You can also comment on the role stereotypes/prejudices worked in the
Albatross culture activity.
2BA GS 2: Migration – general/Kingsley
How many international migrants are there in the world? What is migration and what are the
reasons for it? What is the main difference between a migrant and a refugee?
What was Kingsley´s story – why did he leave Cameroon, what obstacles did he have to go
through on his way to France, what was his life in France? Was it worth the trouble (your
opinion)? Was he a legal or an illegal immigrant - explain?
2BA GS 3: Migration – problems
What problems do migrants face abroad – refer to the Al Jazeera talk show with Jamal, Volker
Turk, Mikael from Sweden. You can also include info from the field trip if you see fit – f.e. fjúžn
festival talks or the simulation.
What problems could migrants face in foreign countries – refer to the article by Ozlem Gezer.
What does it mean that she was “turkified”?
2BA GS 4: Invisible Man - We read a selection of chapters from Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison –
give us a brief summary of what happened and explain in which time period of American history
the novel takes place. Then talk to us about one of the themes in these chapters –
invisibility/blindness, stereotypes, racism, or the superiority of the principal of the school. You
may combine different themes in your answer.
2BA GS 5: Invisible People project – Based on the reading of the Invisible Man, you did a
project about people you believe are invisible in the society (just like the Invisible Man was in
America). Describe your project – which group of people did you choose? Why? Why do you
think they are invisible? What impact can their invisibility have on their situation?