Speaker 1 : Well, let me think…I suppose going to university had a big impact on my life. It
made me much more open-minded. I met so many different types of people there with
weird and wonderful ideas and it changed the way I see the world. I‘m much more
tolerant now… It made me a more rounded person.
Interviewer: Great, and had any particular person had a central role in forming your character?
Speaker 1: I guess that‘d have to be my grandfather. I was very close to him, and he taught me to
stand up for my beliefs. He was always telling me about this…
Interviewer: So what people or events have had an impact on your life?
Speaker 2: I think that traveling my gap year made me grow up and see both the beauty of the
world and, well…just the generosity of ordinary people. I traveled a lot around Asia
and you know, I found that in some of the poorest countries, like Cambodia and Laos,
people share whatever little they have, and they possess a real joy for life. It‘s
probably made me a less selfish person.
Interviewer: Interesting…so you would recommend that young people take a gap year to discover
themselves and the world?
Speaker 2: Definitely. It gives you an opportunity o learn about the world beyond the one you
grew up in and I found it really…
Interviewer: Could you tell me what things in your life have had the greatest influence in
forming your personality?
Speaker 3: Well…a couple of years ago I was on a reality TV show where a group of young
people all lived in a house together. Each week some one was voted off by the
audience. I got down to the final three! I suppose being on the show and seeing how
the other contestants behaved made me realize how selfish and spiteful some people
can be just to get what they want. I also realized it‘s best to just be yourself in life. If
you pretend to be someone different people will eventually see through the lies.
Interviewer: Right…And how did you feel when you were eventually voted off?
Speaker 3: Relieved, to be honest with you. But you know, a slight regret that I didn‘t win
because I kind of…
Interviewer: So you can tell me, what one thing do you think that has had the biggest impact on
your life?
Speaker 4: Hmm, that‘s a difficult question. But I think helping victims of the tsunami in 2004
had a very great impact on me. I‘m half Thai and I‘d just arrived in Thailand for a
family Christmas holiday. When I heard the news I knew I had to help-you couldn‘t
not. I ended up acting as an interpreter for a group of volunteer doctors. It was an
incredibly difficult time but you know, even in the middle of such a horrific tragedy
there is still a huge amount of genuine human kindness.
Interviewer: That‘s amazing! And has it changed the way you view your future…
采访者 你能不能告诉我…你认为在你渐渐成熟的过程中产生了怎样的变化呢？什么事情
对你产生了主要的影响？
发言人1 嗯，让我想想… 我认为上大学对我的生活产生了重大的影响。大学生活让我的思
想更加开明。我在那遇到了太多不同类型的人，他们有着奇特而又令人称赞的想法。
这让我改变了我看世界的方式。我现在宽容多了… 上大学让我成为了一个更加全面
的人。
采访者 太棒了…那有没有一些特殊的人在你的性格塑造上产生主要影响呢？
