Outlook Round 2: Complete Questions

Primary School

1. Do you have any pets?

2. What’s your favorite sport?
3. What’s your favorite candy?
4. What’s your favorite subject?
5. Can you fly?
6. Have you ever been abroad?
7. Do you have any videogames?
8. Can you cook?
9. Do you like eating vegetables?
10. Do you have long hair or short hair?
11. Which animal do you like most?
12. How fast can you run?
13. Are you fat or thin?
14. What’s your grandfather’s name?
15. Do you play computer games?
16. Are you a boy or a girl? Why?
17. Do you like reading?
18. Do you have many friends?
19. What’s your favorite drink?
20. Do you like Zhengzhou?
21. Do you have a cell phone?
22. Can you sing English songs?
23. What are you doing tomorrow?
24. Do you have a bike?
25. Can you drive a car?
26. Do you clean your room?
27. Can you use chopsticks?
28. What color is your favorite jacket?
29. How old are your parents?
30. Do you like studying English? Why?
31. How often do you take showers?
32. What’s your favorite season?
33. Do you want to be rich and have a lot of money?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

34. Do you like spicy food?
35. When is your birthday?
36. When is your mother’s birthday?
37. Have you ever been to the beach?
38. Do you have any pets?
39. Who do you like better – your mother or your father? Why?
40. What is your favorite season?
41. Do you like going camping?
42. Does your father have a good job? What does he do?
43. Do you want to study abroad?
44. Can you eat with a fork and knife?
45. Do you like drinking coffee?
46. Who is your best friend?
47. What do you wear in the summer?
48. What do you wear in the winter?
49. Can your parents speak English?
50. What do you think is funny?
51. What time do you usually get up?
52. Can you play badminton?
53. Is Chinese basketball good?
54. Do you want to get married?
55. Do you know any foreigners?
56. Do you have any foreign friends?
57. Do you like Western food?
58. Do you have a boyfriend / girlfriend?
59. Can you play mah-jongg?
60. Where are you from?
61. Where do you live?
62. Do you like eating hot food or cold food?
63. Do you live with your parents?
64. Can you play a guitar?
65. Can you play any musical instruments?
66. Do you like singing in KTV?
67. Who cooks in your house?
68. Who is the best basketball player in China?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

69. Can you run faster than a car?
70. Can you dance to Latin music?
71. Do you like scary movies?
72. Are you afraid of monsters?
73. Do you often read English books?
74. Are you taller than your father?
75. Are you shorter than your mother?
76. Does your father smoke cigarettes?
77. Do you like Western medicine or Chinese medicine?
78. Can you tell me a joke in English?
79. Do you have a monkey?
80. How many monkeys do you have?
81. What can you do with ten RMB?
82. What color do you not like?
83. Is blue a good color?
84. Are kangaroos good animals or bad animals?
85. Can you tell me the names of five animals?
86. Can you tell me the names of ten colors?
87. Can you tell me the names of five countries?
88. Can your mother speak English?
89. Have you been to America?
90. Have you been to Beijing?
91. Did you watch the Olympics?
92. Do you like noodles or rice?
93. Is your English teacher beautiful?
94. Is your English teacher friendly?
95. Do you have a QQ?
96. Do you use QQ every day?
97. What do you know about America?
98. What do you know about Korea?
99. What can you tell me about Japan?
100. Are you a boy or a girl? Why?
101. Do you prefer eating at home or eating at a restaurant? Why?
102. Is Zhengzhou a clean city?
103. Is Zhengzhou a beautiful city?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

104. Can you eat ten hamburgers?
105. Can you eat three pizzas?
106. Can you swim for two hours?
107. Can you run for one hour?
108. Can you play the piano?
109. Are boys smarter or are girls smarter?
110. Who is the president of China?
111. Who is Gong Li?
112. Who is Barack Obama?
113. Is your English teacher a girl or a boy?
114. Can you fly an airplane?
115. Do you like living in the country or in the city?
116. Do you like people smoking?
117. Can you speak Chinese?
118. Do you like speaking English or speaking Chinese?
119. What’s the best university in China?
120. What time do you go to bed?
121. What time do you wake up?
122. Do you go to school in a car or on a bicycle?
123. Can teachers hit students?
124. Can students hit teachers?
125. Can people hit animals?
126. Are you a good student or a bad student?
127. How many brothers and sisters do you have?
128. What’s your favorite juice?
129. Do you like your father?
130. Can you sleep on the floor?
131. Can you sleep on the street?
132. What color is a watermelon?
133. What color is an apple?
134. Do you like playing with fireworks?
135. Do you like going to school?
136. What’s your favorite subject?
137. How many wives / husbands would you like to have?
138. If you could be an animal, which animal would you be?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

139. Do you know Bruce Lee? Who is he?
140. Do you know Jackie Chan? Who is he?
141. Do you watch Japanese cartoons?
142. Who is your hero?
143. Who is your favorite singer?
144. How many teachers do you have?
145. How many classes do you have in school?
146. Do you like summer or winter more? Why?
147. What do you do on holidays?
148. Do you like to fight?
149. Can you draw well?
150. What is your favorite toy?
151. How often do you play computer games?
152. Would you like to live on a farm?
153. Would you like to live in Africa?
154. Do you think school is easy or difficult?
155. Do you think English is easy or difficult?
156. Are fruits or hamburgers good for your health?
157. Have you ever been to another country?
158. Can you ride a horse?
159. What time do you usually eat dinner?
160. What do you usually eat for breakfast?
161. Do you think homework helps students?
162. Who is your favorite teacher?
163. How long do you want to live?
164. Where do you want to live?
165. Where do you want to work?
166. Who is Ultra Man?
167. How many good friends do you have?
168. Do you have any friends who are girls / boys?
169. Is drinking Coca-Cola good for you?
170. Is eating hamburgers good for your health?
171. When is your birthday?
172. What was your best birthday present?
173. What do you think a good present is?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

174. What do you do during Spring Festival?
175. What does “nature” mean to you?
176. What does “hope” mean to you?
177. What have you learned from the Outlook competition?
178. What does “peace” mean to you?
179. If you were a panda what would you say to people?
180. Do you like eating at Pizza Hut?
181. Do you noodles or rice? Why?
182. Can you sleep for two days?
183. Can you walk to Beijing?
184. Can you teach English?
185. Can you spell “elephant”?
186. Can you tell me the names of five countries, like Australia?
187. Can you tell me the names of five cities in other countries, like Paris?
188. What time do you wake up?
189. What time do you finish your homework at night?
190. Can a person run faster than a bicycle?
191. Can a person swim faster than a dolphin?
192. Can you jump higher than a kangaroo?
193. Does your mother watch TV every day?
194. Does your father work on Saturday and Sunday?
195. Do you go to school on Saturday and Sunday? Why?
196. What do your grandparents do?
197. Can your grandfather play computer games?
198. Do your parents fight?
199. Do you fight with your brothers and sisters?
200. Do you fight with your parents?

Middle School

1. Do you always do what your parents ask you to do?

2. Have you ever been abroad?
3. Do you think it’s better to study in China or study abroad?
4. Do you study any foreign languages – besides English?
5. Have you ever fallen asleep in class?
6. Have you ever been in a fight? Why?
7. Do students need computers for schoolwork?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

8. Should teachers use computers in class?
9. Should schools teach students to use computers?
10. Should young children surf the internet?
11. Why do teachers give students homework?
12. Can you make a fire?
13. Tell me one interesting thing about your hometown.
14. Do you have any foreign friends?
15. Does anyone in your family live abroad?
16. Has anyone in your family been abroad?
17. What’s your favorite brand of clothing?
18. Do you prefer foreign teachers or Chinese teachers in English class?
19. How should students study English?
20. How can students prepare for the Outlook competition?
21. How can a Chinese student practice spoken English?
22. Do you think your hometown is violent?
23. Have you ever had a job?
24. What do your parents do?
25. Should students know how to cook food?
26. Do you believe in true love?
27. Should students have girlfriends and boyfriends?
28. Do you prefer living in a hot place, like Hainan, or a cold place like Harbin?
29. How can students keep cool in the summer?
30. How can people keep warm in winter?
31. Are young people lazier than old people?
32. What’s your dream job?
33. Can you name five continents aside from Asia and Africa?
34. Can you name five countries in Africa?
35. Can you name five countries in South America?
36. What do you usually do when you feel sad?
37. What can we do to help people who don’t have food to eat?
38. Have you ever helped a person you didn’t know?
39. If you could live abroad where would you go?
40. What do you think about people who smoke cigarettes?
41. If you could change one thing in your life, what would you change?
42. Is it important to have good friends?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

43. If you had one million dollars how would you help the poor?
44. If you had one million dollars how would you protect the environment?
45. Who’s the most famous person in China? Why is he or she famous?
46. Can you name three countries whose names start with the letter “B”, like Brazil?
47. Do you think American people are polite?
48. Do you think France is romantic? Why or why not?
49. Do you think Chinese people are friendly?
50. How can students help China become a better country?
51. Do you believe in aliens?
52. What’s the most popular sport in China?
53. Is football a popular sport in China? Why or why not?
54. How can we re-use and save electricity?
55. Should a person go to jail for hurting animals?
56. Should all young people go to universities or just some?
57. How would you feel if you lost this round?
58. How would you feel if you won this round?
59. What can we do to help victims of natural disasters?
60. Who is your role model? Why?
61. Do you ever buy second-hand things? Why or why not?
62. What can we do about poor air quality?
63. Some cities and towns badly need water. How can water-rich cities help them?
64. What makes you the happiest person in the world?
65. If you were given a piece of paper how would you use it for peace?
66. If you met Bill Gates what would you say to him?
67. What do you usually do on your birthday?
68. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being famous?
69. In the future scientists may be able to create air and water. How will that change the Earth?
70. Do you think humans will one day live on Mars? Why or why not?
71. Why do you think aliens in movies are never peaceful?
72. Do you agree that watching television makes people stupid?
73. Which foreign language – besides English – is the most useful?
74. When should students start studying English?
75. Should every student learn how to play a musical instrument?
76. Is a Nike shirt better than a shirt from Li Ning?
77. Do you read for pleasure?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

78. Is it important for students to spend time on their hobbies?
79. What is the most difficult job in the world?
80. Who is the most famous person in the world?
81. Which country would you most like to visit? Why?
82. Are men or women better at cooking delicious food?
83. Are you comfortable on stage?
84. How do you calm yourself when you feel nervous?
85. Do you think it’s better to study in a school with other people or at home by yourself?
86. What would you do if your teacher gave you a good score on an exam by mistake?
87. What would you do if a friend asked you to help him or her cheat on an exam?
88. Why are so many young people so interested in playing videogames?
89. Who is more famous: Bruce Lee or Yao Ming?
90. Who is more famous: the monkey king or Mickey Mouse?
91. What are the benefits to living in smaller towns and villages?
92. What makes a good school good and a bad school bad?
93. Is it better to be very rich or have a good education?
94. Do you think students should be allowed to carry MP3 players and mobile phones into classrooms?
95. Do you think students should wear uniforms?
96. What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing uniforms?
97. Why do some students do better on tests than others?
98. Would you rather be very rich in a poor country or very poor in a rich country?
99. Can people keep elephants as pets? Why or why not?
100. Can people keep kangaroos as pets? Why or why not?

High School Questions

1. Would you ever try extreme sports like skydiving?

2. Do you think men or women are more violent?
3. When an old person, a pregnant woman or a sick person gets on the bus do you give them your seat?
4. What do you do when you see a person throw trash on the floor?
5. What do you do when you see a person spit on the floor?
6. What are your best qualities? What are the best things about you?
7. What are your worst qualities? What are the worst things about you?
8. Do you have a lot of stress in your life?
9. Would you accept a job in Africa if the pay and working conditions were good?
10. Would you accept a job in Iraq if the pay and working conditions were good?
11. Will China play in the next World Cup? Why or why not?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

12. Why do so many young Chinese men like basketball and not other sports?
13. Who is more popular: Kobe Bryant or Barack Obama?
14. In some places in America young people can drive cars when they’re 16 years old. Is that too young to drive?
15. How would you feel if your brother or sister married a foreigner?
16. Has a friend ever hurt you?
17. Do you trust most people?
18. Do you think most people are honest or dishonest?
19. How do you believe English will help you in your life?
20. What is more important – money or happiness?
21. If you could ask Barack Obama one question, what would you ask?
22. Do you give money to beggars? Why or why not?
23. If you were a teacher would you give a lot of homework to your students?
24. Would you allow your children to live abroad?
25. Would you join the army if China had a war?
26. Do you ever waste food?
27. Why should people recycle used things?
28. Where can people go to find the beauty of nature?
29. Will people ever live on the moon or on Mars?
30. Is the world more or less peaceful than it was one hundred years ago?
31. Why do people hurt other people?
32. Can people from different cultures become true friends?
33. Can money buy peace? Why or why not?
34. How should we punish people who steal or hurt other people?
35. Should policemen carry guns? Why or why not?
36. Which university would you most like to attend? Why?
37. If books were free do you think people would continue to write books?
38. Is it better to be intelligent or beautiful?
39. Are there any things you can’t learn by reading books?
40. How do you manage your time?
41. Why should young people avoid smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol?
42. Have you ever failed an important exam?
43. What is the best way to study languages in your opinion?
44. How should people dress for a job interview?
45. Are your parents involved in your education?
46. What can you tell me about South America?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

47. Would you like to attend an “online” university on the internet?
48. What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing videogames?
49. Why are many men unable to understand women?
50. Why are many women unable to understand men?

University

1. Have you ever paid for music? Why or why not?

2. In America it is illegal to download movies from the internet. Why do you think that is?
3. How would you feel if you wrote a book and no one paid money to read it?
4. Who is the teacher who has most influenced you?
5. Have you ever been to a concert or music festival?
6. Should university students be allowed to date and have relationships?
7. What does a university student need to find a good job?
8. If it better to buy or rent a place to live?
9. Would you want to own a farm?
10. Why do many young people today prefer foreign products to Chinese products?
11. Do you live with your parents? Why or why not?
12. Would you accept a job in India if the pay and working conditions were good?
13. Do you feel the Beijing Olympics were successful?
14. Do you believe life in cities is better than life in the country?
15. When is your mother’s birthday?
16. What do you do for your father on his birthday?
17. If you found a laptop computer in an empty classroom would you keep it?
18. If you could change one thing in the world what would you choose to change?
19. What is the benefit to attending a famous university?
20. Can students attending not-famous universities be successful in China?
21. What is the biggest threat to nature today?
22. Do you believe you are doing your part to protect nature?
23. Have you ever thought about changing your major to study something else?
24. Are you interested in graduate school? Why or why not?
25. Do you believe perfect societies exist on Earth?
26. Who is most responsible for keeping peace on Earth?
27. If you could choose the next President of China who would you choose and why?
28. If you could choose the next President of America who would you choose and why?
29. How do you feel about students who cheat on exams?
30. Do you believe universities do a good job preparing students for the workplace?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009

31. Is it necessary for every young adult to attend university?
32. What is the most popular major at your university?
33. What qualities make a person successful in life?
34. Is it necessary to speak two or three languages to find a good job?
35. Is it better to work for an international company? Why or why not?
36. How should people dress for an important job interview?
37. What is the best way for society to deal with violent criminals?
38. Is English easier or more difficult to learn than Chinese? Why do you think so?
39. Why do many students choose to study abroad?
40. What can we do to fight corruption in business and government?
41. Is it important for students to have work experience?
42. Where would you rather live: Japan or Malaysia?
43. Why would a person choose to become a vegetarian?
44. Should we kill animals for their meat and leather?
45. Your city mayor announces that littering now carries a maximum penalty of 500 RMB. Do you support this decision?
46. Why is it so difficult to travel abroad?
47. Are there any strong disadvantages to drinking coffee often?
48. If you were very rich would you live your life any differently?
49. How often do you watch news programs on TV or read newspapers?
50. Would you rather study at Harvard or Peking University? Why?

Note:

I think it’s ridiculous to attempt to ask each individual contestant a unique question.

It ruins continuity and opens us up to a lot of complaints. Some students will obviously receive more difficult questions
than others. Some students will receive questions based on the “theme” of this year’s competition – peace, nature, and
hope. Others won’t. Why study themed peace, nature, and hope questions at EF for four months only to be asked “Do
you like cats or dogs?” during the actual competition?

It’s difficult to write two hundred questions for primary school students. They possess a limited vocabulary. I’ve heard
that some questions are too easy and others too difficult. I haven’t received any suggestions from the people making
these complaints as to what better questions might be.

I don’t see a need for five hundred questions. It robs judges of a basis of comparison and slights the efforts of our paying
students who have spent the last months familiarizing themselves with the materials we’ve brought them.

Renato

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009