Life in Society, Social Events and Social Problems

Maturita topic 4, general part, at Cambridge B2 First level. The specific part of this topic is Prague and Places of Interest in the Czech Republic.

What to talk about

• living in a community – your town, neighbours, volunteering
• social events – parties, weddings, festivals, concerts, sports events
• living in a city vs. in the country
• social problems – unemployment, poverty, homelessness, addiction, crime, discrimination
• how society and individuals can help

Model answer

People are social beings, and most of us belong to several communities at once – our family, our class, our neighbourhood or a sports club. I live in a small town where people still know each other, greet each other in the street and help each other when needed. In big cities life is more anonymous, but there are many more opportunities – jobs, culture and entertainment.

Social events are an important part of life because they bring people together. Personally, I enjoy concerts and music festivals in summer, and in our town there is a traditional fair every September, where the whole town meets. Then there are family events such as weddings, christenings and birthday parties. I think the pandemic showed us how much we need such events – when they were cancelled, many people felt isolated and lonely.

Unfortunately, every society also has its problems. One of the most serious issues in the Czech Republic today is the cost of housing – young people can hardly afford to buy or even rent a flat in big cities. Other problems are poverty and debt, homelessness, addiction to alcohol, drugs or gambling, and discrimination, for example against the Roma minority or people with disabilities. Big cities also face crime, overtourism and traffic, which are typical problems of Prague.

I believe that solving these problems is not only the job of the government. Of course, the state has to provide a social safety net, education and healthcare, but individuals can help too. Many people volunteer – they help in charities, food banks or animal shelters, or they donate money. At our school we organise a charity sale every Christmas and send the money to a children’s home. Small things like this can make a difference.

Vocabulary

Grammar worth showing

• passive to talk about problems in general: A lot of money is spent on… Many events were cancelled.
• should / ought to / it’s high time for suggestions: It’s high time the government did something about housing.
• too / enough: Flats are too expensive. Young people don’t earn enough.

Useful phrases

• One of the most serious problems is…
• This problem is caused by… / It leads to…
• I’m convinced that the government should…
• On the other hand, it’s up to each of us to…
• A good example of this is…

Speaking practice

Part 1 – about you

Part 3 / 4 – discussion