# Part 1.
<Subject> History
Q) Do you like
learning history?
A) Yes, history
is something that interests me a lot. When I was a student, I used to read
history books such as Samgukji and Samguksagi. Furthermore, one of my favorite
classes was history. Nowadays, I often watching the historical documentary on
TV and Youtube.
Q) Do you think
learning history is important?
A) Sure, there
are several reasons needed to learn history. First, it is important to learn
their own history because people can learn about their national identity.
Second, people should know foreign country’s history in globalization so that
they can understand each other.
Q) Have you read
any articles or books related to history recently?
A) Yes, I
recently read a historical novel named Samgukgi. It is a story that takes place
during the period of the Three states in China. This novel made me have an
interest in history. Also, because I like history, I usually read history books
and watch historical documentaries.
Q) Do you like
historical films?
A) Of course,
they are my favorite kinds of movies. More specifically, I love the ones that
feature great battles such as the Second World War. There are several brilliant
generals like Montgomery and Douglas Macarthur who won seemingly impossible
victories. Through them, I learn about the will power so that I can try
something new.
Q) What do you do
to learn the history of your country?
A) When I was a
student, I used to read history books and watch historical documentaries.
Nowadays, thanks to technological advancements, I can look for reliable online
sources when I want to know more about specific periods or historical figures.
There is an excellent blog about Korean history that is maintained by a college
professor, and I often find relevant information there.
Q) What can we do
to encourage interest in history among children?
A) Well, there
are several things that encourage interest in history among children. First, I
think trying to make more comics and animated movies set in historical periods.
Second, the education programs about history on Youtube can be made for
children, since most of them nowadays are accustomed to using electronics.
<Subject> Museum
Q) Do you visit
history museums often?
A) Not really. I
prefer to read history books and watch historical documentaries rather than
visit history museums. Also, it can be cost and static. Instead of visiting them,
I often go to baseball stadium because I am big fan of Doosan Bears.
Q) What can
students learn by visiting museums?
A) There are many
things that students learn about when they visit museums. One of them is
learning to conduct themselves properly. They should need to be quiet when
visiting public areas. Also, they can learn there many subjects such as history,
art, space and so on.
# Part 2.
<Subject>
Tradition
Q) Describe a
tradition of your country.
1) What this
tradition involves.
2) When it
started.
3) Explain why
you like it.
A) There are many
traditions in Korea, but the first one that comes to mind is the Korean New Year’s
Day. It is called Seollal and the main tradition for Korean people. It differs
from the New Year’s day in western society. Difference between the Korean’s and
the Western’s tradition is whether it based on solar or lunar calendar. During
this holiday, people are gathered and see all of their relatives. Also, they
have a traditional food called tteokguk. Korean people believe if they eat
tteokguk so they advance in age. Thus, children of them bow politely for the
new year to their elderly. Historical records show that It has started since
the 3rd century B.C. This makes Seollal one of the oldest Korean traditions.
Seollal is my favorite Korean tradition for several reasons. First of all, when
I was young, I got pocket money in this season so that I could buy my toys.
Second, all of relatives could have chances to see each other. Today, many
people are very busy and have few chances to meet. However, thanks to Seollal,
many people can spend time with their family.
# Part 3.
Q) How are
traditions different today than they were in the past?
A) First, because
of the growing number of young people who prefer to remain a single than get
married, nowadays many people tend to put themselves first rather than their
family. So, although people have to gather and see all of their relatives
during national holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok in the past, most people
would like to stay their home or travel abroad these days. Second, because of the widespread
disease Covid-19, many people in Korea suffer from meeting their family
face-to-face. Fortunately, the technology development like Smartphones, the
Internet can help us keep in touch with them.
Q) What do you
think about traditions disappearing?
A) I know that
many people have different opinions about disappearing traditions. However, I
think people should try to protect their traditions. Due to globalization, a
lot of country’s traditions are dying out in many areas. It can cause national
identity disappearing as well. It is very serious problem for their descendant.
As some people argue that the global warming is at risk so that many people
realize it, protecting our tradition is important for our descendant.
# Part 2.
<Subject>
History
Q) Describe a
historic building you visited.
1) What this
building is.
2) How often you
visited.
3) How it looks.
4) Explain what
you thought when you visited there.
A) There are many
historical building I visited, but the first that comes to mind is Odusan
unification observatory, which is the most famous place in my area. It was
built in 1992 and renovated recently. Since it’s not far from my house, I
usually visit there once a month with my family. However, when the weather’s
great, I go every weekend because I can observe well North Korean from distance
with a telescope. The observatory seems like a shell and consist of whole glass
so attracts many tourists. When I visited last weekend, I saw residents who
lived in North Korea through a telescope. They didn’t have enough clothes to
protect them from the cold. I felt pity and thought about necessity of
unification between South and North Korea.
# Part 3.
Q) Are people in
your country interested in history?
A) Individual
interests differ from person to person, but I think most Korean people are very
interested in history. That’s because history lessons begin early on in Korea
schools and continue through all educational levels. Also, as taking a history
class is mandatory, all students in Korea learn about their history. They are
taught the importance of own history and have the national identity at a very
young age. In addition, many Korean television programs and movies portray
fictional stories using real historical figures or periods. There are very
popular like Heojun, Jumong with the general public. I think that shows how
interested in history Korean people are.