The following Q&A set is written by a native English speaker. I just modify some parts of it. If you want to answer these questions, please do them at the end of your recording. I would be eager to learn language from your answers too. :)
Topic: Buildings
1. Do buildings need to look the same?
No, most certainly not! You know, I think a city’s much more interesting when it has a variety of different buildings. It just makes a city a lot more attractive. I mean, look at the… um… what’s it called?!… Oh yeah, that’s it – the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi. That’s just a really cool building, and I don’t think there are many buildings like that on Earth! So it’s one of the things that draws so many people to Hanoi, and to me, that really demonstrates the power of unique architecture.
2. Do you prefer traditional architecture or modern architecture?
I guess it kind of depends really. Because in terms of visual appearance, I’d say I probably prefer traditional architecture, simply because, you know, there’s less and less of it around, so when I see it, it just looks a bit more special, especially considering the lack of technology back then. And I mean, nowadays, modern architecture’s everywhere, and that kind of just lessens the appeal. But if it was a place to live, then my preference would definitely be modern architecture, because I think it’s more suited towards modern-day living. So um, yeah, it really depends what aspect I’m looking at it from. I think the architecture of ancient buildings, like temples, pagodas and churches is just extraordinary/incredible.
3. Do you prefer tall buildings or short buildings?
Well, I don’t really tend to judge a building purely on its height, because I mean, there are lots of other things to take into consideration, like the state it’s in, what it’s made of, and so on. But all things being equal, I’d say I generally prefer tall buildings, basically because they just look a bit more impressive!
Another possible answer:
I think it’s pretty hard to generalize, but on the whole, I’d say I prefer tall buildings. You know, I think they generally look a bit cooler. And um… if I’m living in a tall building, high up, then I’ll have a better view than if I was living in some low-storey building. So uh, yeah, I guess those would be the main reasons.
Thank you a lot!