31. What do you think the goal of an education should be and tell me why you feel that way?
Education should really be a time where you learn new ways of thinking and are challenged to go beyond what you know. But if I were to choose between learning useful things versus¹ learning for enjoyment², I would definitely choose learning for enjoyment. I don't mean just learning when I feel like it. Rather, I mean studying things that interest me. If I am truly interested in a subject, I will really try harder to learn it. I think the goals of education should also be to produce a well-rounded person, I mean a person who is not just good in one or two areas but a person who can show knowledge in quite few areas.
32. What do you think is important in a friend?
That's an interesting question because I don't have that many strict standards. I prefer having a real variety of friends. I think it's important just to want to be my friend in a sincere way.
Friendship is extremely important to me. It's like being brothers or sisters, but even more than 'that. I mean, I would do nearly anything for my friend, and I'd expect that he'd do the same for me. If he didn't help me when I was in need, then I would not consider him a good friend. I have a lot of different kinds of friends and there's not really just one type of friend that I am friends with. What qualities do you think a good journalist needs? A journalist must be responsible to his or her readers. Not only must a journalist be quick to react in any circumstance, but also he/she must always remember to uncover the real facts to the reader.
33. What qualities do you think a good teacher needs?
I think the basic qualities involve two things. First the teacher must understand the process of learning and the ways to make learning more efficient and effective. I also think that a teacher must have a good personality that motivates students to learn. I don't think its necessary for a teacher to have a perfect personality but at least they must show a passion for what they are teaching. The moment the students sense that the teacher just doesn't care about the subject then they also lose their enthusiasm for it. Patience is a key quality too because if there is no patience than students will be ignored.
34. What do you think the goal of travelling should be?
The goal of travelling? , Hmm. .. I've never thought about that before. I guess the goal of travelling should be to enjoy yourself. For me, I think the goal I usually have is to have an experience that sticks in my mind for a long time and to give me a wider understanding of the world. I like to feel good about visiting a place and I like to think that the place made me a better person. I think often too many people travel just so that they feel they are adventurous³ and so they can boast to all their friends about all the places they have seen. But I think it is more important to truly relax and take your time exploring things without having to follow some rushed plan of things to see.
35. How should people be promoted at work? Through experience or performance?
This is a very big issue in a lot of companies. I'm not sure how I feel about this issue because I think both experience and performance is important. I mean if you've been working for a long time I think it's natural that you would expect better treatment. On the other hand, I don't think that it's right that experienced people should put little care into their job just because they think that their jobs are well protected because of seniority. In my opinion people should be promoted based on a combination of experience and performance. If they do not perform they may be demoted or even laid off, but if they do perform they will be promoted. Those people who perform well but have little experience should be promoted but not too high because this will only discourage those people who have worked in a company for a long time.
36. What qualities do you think are important for a successful or good film?
That's difficult to say. A good film doesn't have to follow a certain formula. I think there are all kinds of good films and they don't have to be a certain style. I think the basic qualities are commitment and professional acting⁴. I can't stand those actors who start in movies with little concern about how to make their characters seem like real people. I think that the cinematography is quite important because without it you are just presenting images without concern for the meaning they convey. If there is no concern for the way it is shot then you might as well read a book, because the main features of films that make it pleasing are its setting and artistic⁵ filming. These days, I think the one criteria⁶ for a successful film seems to be just good special effects, but I don't care much about that.
37. What do you consider to be a good way to spend time with friends?
I think the best way to spend time with friends is to go hiking and camping with them. You know, when you go travelling with them you may get in many disputes because you never know what your friend really wants to do. Travelling can create conflict, and sometimes you rarely have a moment just to sit down and chat with your friend. In my view, it's better to go camping because when you're camping you are not in any rush to go somewhere and there are fewer choices. You can just enjoy what you're doing. On the other hand, you should make sure you're well organised when camping or you could have fights about what you should have done to prepare.
38. How do you define⁷ a good quality life?
This is just my opinion, but I think a good quality life involves no fear or thought that you are in danger, or being unfairly treated. I think it's a life where there are no serious health risks and there are opportunities to enjoy yourself without feeling worried about the consequences. I mean, if you're worried about the pollution in the water or you are worried about the crime in an area then it doesn't matter how rich you are because you have no opportunity to enjoy your surroundings. A good quality life can probably be found anywhere in the world but I think the conditions in some places make it easier than other places.
39. What is your standard of a good place to visit?
I think the place should first have opportunities to see something that you haven't seen very often. Also I think there should be some reasonable facilities there for you to enjoy. For example, there should be, at least, some decent⁸ roads to get in and out and some decent place to see. I think also that the place should be relatively⁹ safe and clean. I think also it should offer some opportunities to see things without getting charged for everything. I mean there are just too many places that charge you for every step you take and I think this is wrong because good places shouldn't be just anther kind of tourist trap.
40. What is your standard of success?
In my mind, success mean reaching the goals that you have for yourself, and it means you have achieved something that is not only good for yourself, but also good for others. I mean, if you have lots of money that doesn't necessarily mean you are a success. It could mean that this money just meant that you were lucky or you just happened to have the right talents. True success means meeting your goals, and if your goals just happen to be raising a happy family, well I think that also makes you a success.
Making Predictions
41. What do you think of the future of China if China keeps an open policy?
 I think China's future is very promising¹⁰. The open policy has brought many benefits to the Chinese. For example, our standard of living has increased, China has become a stronger nation economically, and we've learned a lot about the rest of the world. China needs to continue with an open policy in order for us to gain strength and respect as a world-class nation.
42. Do you foresee there being more advertisements in the future?
Yes, I believe so. We are getting more and more foreign advertisement, and as more investments are coming in, I think this is something unavoidable. The concept of advertising¹¹ on TV, for example, is just beginning to catch on among the bigger companies and as more and more private businesses grow and increase their advertising budgets they may give TV a chance. Also, I think you'll see more and more advertising agencies start up in China that will specialize in making good advertisements and they will be in hot demand in the next few years.
43. How will the Internet change people's buying habits do you think, in the future?
I think the change will be incredible¹² in the future. People rely so much on the Internet nowadays that they spend a lot of their time in front of the computer. More and more people are buying things over the Internet, and I think this trend will continue in the future. People will not get out of their houses, they'll just shop from the home. The key challenge before this happens is that the stores must find a good way of delivering things at a low cost. This has been the biggest problem in the past for a lot of e-commerce type companies but I have a feeling they'll become more skilled at it in the future.
44. Do you think that the Internet is going to change the way we get news?
Well, already we are seeing that. I get my latest news from the Internet. And I believe this will be the trend for the future if more and more people get wired up with the Internet. I'm not sure in the future whether newspapers will survive if more people get the news from the Internet. I think the main way it'll change the way we get news is that we will get the events immediately. We can now get a variety of sources. Also, people will become more sophisticated¹³ about the things that are happening around the world and they will be able to make up their own minds about issues.
45. Can you imagine what transportation will be like in the future?
I think it will be fuelled by different energy sources because there is just no way that we can continue with petroleum¹⁴ for much longer. So I think that when new energy sources come out, you'll see different designed transportation. I also predict that some transportation will begin to use the air more often just for short heights because I think that the road systems cannot always be forever maintained and repaired. We need to find other ways, so I imagine our cars will probably be flying and maybe there will be flying bicycles too.
46. What would life be like without music?
What would life be without music? That's tough to say. I mean we just take it for granted that we'll always have music but I guess if there wasn't any music we'd suffer in a very big way because we need music to create some higher form of pleasure. We need music to get in touch with some of our deeper emotions. If I had no music, I'm sure I'd go crazy because music relaxes me and it's a great way to hear some form of communication, which I might not have time for if I didn't put on a song or two.
47. Do you think the traffic problem will get better or worse in the future?
Well, I can't predict with any certainty¹⁵ but I have a feeling it will. It may be that the problem will get worse before it gets any better, but I think that there will be a time when something is actually done to tackle¹⁶ the problem. My feeling is that part of the problem will be solved when we actually start to regulate¹⁷ the number of cars on the roads. I think also that once the subway system is improved and can carry people to places they never used to be able to go, then the problem will also get a bit better.

 

48. Do you feel optimistic that environmental problems will be solved in the future?
I guess you could say I'm optimistic, but only in the long term. I think it will, but only when people begin to realize that there's an actual crisis¹⁸ out there. I remember when it seemed that everyone was talking about the issue. Now a lot of people are just saying, "well, nothing can really be done about the problem." I think that people could do something about it if they really wanted to but the problem is that they keep delaying the solutions so I think when they realize they cannot delay the process any more then they will actually start doing something concrete about it.
49. How do you imagine people's lifestyles will change in the future?
I think there will be some big lifestyle changes in the future. I think our work life will change a lot so that we'll be mixing our work and free time more and probably make more of our own choices about when to work and when not to work. I think also that children will become more and more independent and also sophisticated and they will be shouldering more and more of the housework, as a growing number of households have two income earners. I think we'll also be experiencing more stress and more competition and I think we'll probably be making more and more friends from distant places.

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