Témata k ústní části všeobecné SJZ z anglického jazyka - konverzace
CONVERSATION TOPICS - GENERAL STATE EXAMS

1. Family / Course of Life
Family members, relatives, problems related to bringing up children and growing up, important factors in an un/happy marriage, the ideal partner, frequent causes of divorce, autobiography, friends, their characterisation, changes in family life in the 20th and 21st centuries, the human life cycle, the generation gap, getting old, your scale of life values

2. Home and furniture / Housing / House and Home
How and where you live, the variety of rooms, houses..., building a house, furnishing a flat, the parts of a house, the layout of a house/flat, furniture and furnishings, equipment, labour saving devices, housing problems in this country, your dream home

3. Towns, Traffic and public services / Life in a town / Village Life
Life in a town / in the street, the plan of a town, finding one´s way, sightseeing, what is polluting our cities, the rising crime-rate, public buildings, various landmarks and monuments, means of transport, the importance of public transport,  at the airport / railway station, town organisation, cleaning services, people on the land, life on a farm, work in agriculture, advantages and disadvantages of living in a town /the country

4. Shopping and Services
Shops, special shops, shopping habits in your country, various goods, advertising, at the department store, supermarket, at a trade fair, services available in your area, delivery services, repair shops, at the shoemaker´s, at the watchmaker´s, , at the hairdresser´s, etc.

5. Jobs and career / Professions and occupations / Trades and professions
The working day, trades, pay, looking for a job, applying for a job, a job interview, your idea of a good job, traditional jobs in your country, housework, labour saving machines in the workplace, role of the au-pair in a family, social security, unemployment

6. Daily program / routine, Leisure time, activities and hobbies / Public and social activities / Socialising
Working days, at school, at work, at home, weekends, calls and invitations, learning foreign languages, evening classes, photography, gardening, hobbies and pastimes, sports, meetings and parties, social behaviour, entertaining visitors, eating out, lifestyles

7. Finance and communication
Banking, credit cards, handling your money, money matters, saving schemes,  family budget, foreign currencies and exchange rates, post-office services, sending  letters, telegrams, money, parcels, telephoning, mobile phones, e-mail,  the Internet

8. Sports and games
National/international sports competitions, different kinds of sports, summer and  winter sports, hiking, sports and health, equipment, problems, drugs, the Olympic Games,  your favourite sport/game - rules, equipment and facilities, to what extent is sport important in today´s society?, sports and games popular in the CR and English speaking countries

9. The human body / Health and sickness
Parts of the body and their functions, personal qualities, outward appearance, expression of joy, grief, regret, anger ...., human characteristics, your best friend/ worst enemy, injuries and first aid, illnesses, disabilities, at the doctor´s, at the dentist´s, in hospital, in a spa, medical care, medicine

10. Clothing / Dressing / fashion
Kinds of  clothes, clothes for special occasions, footwear, sportswear, at the tailor´s or dressmaker´s, fashion, fashion shows/magazines, colours and patterns, jewellery, accessories, making your own clothes, mending clothes

11. Food / Meals
Restaurants, eating places, ordering a meal, preparing meals at home, kitchen equipment, laying the table, cooking your favourite dish, Czech cuisine in comparison with English, Scottish, American, etc., eating and drinking habits, healthy food, nutrition

12. Culture and entertainment / The arts
Performing arts - theatres, cinemas, concerts, ballet, the interior of a theatre, musical instruments, music making and music playing, booking tickets, reading books, going to libraries, the lay-out of a book, fine arts - painting, sculpture, visiting galleries, art exhibitions, home entertainment (TV, radio, music)

13. Education
Your school days, the best/worst memory of your school days, school subjects and examinations, language learning, methods of teaching, grants and scholarships, your favourite school subject/teacher, lifelong education

14. Sightseeing / Showing visitors round / On holiday
Your home town, the main attractions in your town and the CR, Prague, Brno, The Giant Mountains ..., historical periods and styles, museums and galleries, scenic beauties, joys of the countryside,  tourism - good or bad for the country?, the type of holiday you prefer, your last/best/worst holiday, at a travel agency, holidays in our country and abroad

15. Travel and transport
Preparations for a trip, names of  foreign countries, types of accommodation, hotels and camping, at the seaside, description of a recent journey, the longest journey you have ever made,  It´s a small world..., means of transport, the importance of transport, ports, airports and railway stations, cars and driving, accidents

16. Climate and weather / farming / Gardening
Characteristics of the four seasons,  activities we do/clothes we wear in different seasons,  the weather forecast, natural phenomena, social weather chat, environmental problems, the climate in your country, farming in the old days, domestic animals, livestock, agricultural plants, garden tools

17. Environment / Nature, animals and plants
Major problems facing the world´s environment, progress vs. ecology, how to be environment-friendly, important geographical terms, natural catastrophes, wildlife, animals in zoos, zoos vs. nature reserves, plants, garden/wild flowers, parts of the animal body/plant, pets, general animal terminology, the basic classification of animals

18. The media
Radio, TV (programmes), the press, the role of mass media in today´s society, newspapers and periodicals, contents/parts of  newspapers and periodicals, quality/popular press, ethics, publishing, censorship, advertising,  your favourite newspaper /magazine and/or radio and TV programmes

19. Holidays and festivals / Festivals and Celebrations
How and when they are celebrated, the main holidays, festivals and celebrations in your family, decribe your most recent family celebration, your favourite celebration, have you ever organised a festival/celebration in your school/local community?, festivals and celebrations in English speaking countries, their origins

20. Problems in society / Science and technology
"Crime doesn´t pay  - or does it?", what could be done to reduce crime?, "tunnelling",  race discrimination, changing values in the Czech society since 1989, globalisation, inventions and discoveries, progress in science and technology, space flights, how do you keep up with the advances in your profession?, can you use a computer, other electronic equipment, compare life at the beginning of the 20th and 21st centuries

Témata k ústní části všeobecné SJZ z anglického jazyka  - reálie 
LIFE AND INSTITUTIONS - Cultural Background

(If the topic includes choices - (a), (b), etc., the examiner chooses two of them.)

1. A period in British history till 1500
(a) important events, (b) great historical  figures of the period, (c) pre-historic/historic monuments

2. A period in British history from 1500 to 1900
(a) important events, (b) great historical figures of the period, (c) characteristics of  several works of  art and/or literature of the period

3. Britain in the 20th century
(a) important events, (b) great figures of the period, (c) characteristics of several works of art and/or  literature of the period

4. A period in American history till 1900
(a) important events, (b) great figures of the period, (c) characteristics of several works of art and/or literature of the period

5. The USA in the 20th century
(a) important events, (b) great figures of the period, (c) characteristics of several works of art and/or literature of the period

6. The system of government in the United  Kingdom
The Monarch, the Parliament, the Cabinet, political parties - in comparison with the CR

7. The system of government in the USA
The federal government, state governments, the Congress, presidential powers, political parties - in comparison with the CR

8. Geography and places of interest in the United Kingdom
Political and administrative divisions, capital cities, the relief, lakes and rivers,  the climate

9. Geography and places of interest in the USA
Political and administrative divisions, the federal capital, the relief, lakes and rivers,  the climate

10. Education in the UK in comparison with education in the CR
Compulsory school attendance, types of schools (pre-school, primary, secondary, post-secondary), private/public sector

11. Education in the USA in comparison with education in the CR
Compulsory school attendance, types of schools (pre-school, elementary, secondary, post-secondary), private/public sector

12. The media and the arts in the UK
Major radio and TV networks, the press (types of magazines and newspapers), the arts (theatre, opera, musicals, films, dance, visual arts),  festivals of drama, music, poetry...

13. The media and the arts in the USA
Major radio and TV networks, the press (types of magazines and newspapers), the arts (theatre, opera, musicals, films, dance, visual arts),  festivals of music,...

14. National economy, industry, agriculture, transport - the UK
The main industrial and agricultural regions, the systems of transport, membership in the EU, economic links with the CR

15. National economy, industry, agriculture, transport - the  USA
The main industrial and agricultural regions, the systems of transport, economic links with the CR

16. Outstanding British or American personalities (in history and/or at present)
(a)  Nobel prize winners, (b) scientists and inventors,  (c) artists: architecture, music, painting,... (d) sports

17. Canada in the context of other English speaking countries
(a) the political system, the capital, places of interest, (b) important events in history, (c) the population, great figures of history, (d) characteristics of several works of art and/or literature

18. Australia and New Zealand in the context of other English speaking countries
(a) the political systems, capitals, places of interest, (b) important events in history, (c) the population, great figures of history, (d) characteristics of several works of art and/or literature

19. Current political events in the UK or the USA and in the CR, mutual relationships
The burning issues of today, conflicts in society, ethnic minorities, international cooperation, treaties

20. The Czech Republic
(a) the system of government, political parties, elections, (b) important dates in history, (c) places of interest
(d)  great figures of history, (e) characteristics of several works of art and/or literature

Průběh ústní zkoušky z reálií

Při ústní zkoušce z reálií kandidát - v návaznosti na vylosovanou otázku - nejprve souvisleji pohovoří na dané téma podle bodů, které si k tématu připravil, projeví tak základní vědomosti o vylosovaném tématu (cca 3 min.), komise mu pak může klást další doplňovací otázky (cca 2 min.). Rozhodující pro hodnocení je podání základních informací na dobré jazykové úrovni, nikoli znalost či neznalost okrajových podrobností. U témat 8, 9, 17 a 18 má kandidát k dispozici mapy (u přípravy i při zkoušce).

Průběh ústní zkoušky z četby:

Kandidáti všeobecné státní jazykové zkoušky napíší na zadní stranu přihlášky seznam četby obsahující alespoň 5 libovolných, dle vlastního výběru titulů přečtených v originále z krásné literatury (próza, poezie). Je nutno uvést pouze tituly moderních autorů (spíše 2. pol. 20. stol.) z oblasti literatury britské, americké, australské, novozélandské, kanadské, anglo-indické atd. 

Rozsah četby: cca 500 stran celkem. Nesmí být uváděna literatura překladová (např. čeští autoři), odborná, technická a zjednodušená četba. Seznam uvedený na přihlášce bude podkladem té části ústní zkoušky, která se týká četby.


Doporučená literární díla anglicky mluvících autorů:

List of Recommended Literature

Applicants for state exams need to hand in a list of 5 (for the general exam) or 3 (for the basic exam) books (by 5/3 English-writing authors) of their own choice. This list has been put together only to help them choose.

Doporučená literatura:

Michael Vince: Advanced Language Practice (Macmillan)
Martin Hewings: Advanced Grammar in Use (CambridgeUniversityPress)
Michael McCarthy and Felicity O'Dell: English Vocabulary in Use – Advanced (CambridgeUniversityPress)
George Yule:OxfordPractice Grammar – Advanced (OxfordUniversityPress)
CAE Practice Tests (Pearson Longman)