1. Who is the most important figure in your country at the moment? The most important figure at the moment is Mario Monti, the Prime Minister. He has been trying to solve the financial problems other previous politicians have caused. He is not a politician but a university professor, head of several Italian banks and a professional financial advisor. He has been undergoing a lot pressure since his rise and most Italians have lost hope in a quick return to a normal lifestyle. Moreover, he has been accused of abusing his power when it comes down to spending money for personal Parliamentary expenses. Possible Questions and Answers

2. Do you think the death penalty should be abolished? I am Catholic and I don’t believe people should kill other people. The death penalty is an issue that has been long discussed in many countries which still use it as punishment. I don’t think this kind of punishment will solve the problem about murders or serial killings, too. I think it will always exist, the problem is trying to understand what goes wrong in society to make such people do such things. Maybe the best way to punish people who commit murder would be life imprisonment or hard labour in prison. But even in this case, I don’t think it will stop people from killing other people.

3. Possible Questions and Answers Have you ever had any type of supernatural experience? No, I haven’t, but I have read about some people who have said they had experienced unexplained phenomena. For example, my English teacher read a story to us about a man who had been to the Salem witch museum and had stood in a pentagram. After returning home, he received a letter from Salem which mysteriously disappeared with a black cat he had encountered a few minutes before. I don’t know whether to believe in it being a coincidence or something we just can’t explain.

4. Finish these Conditional Sentences: If I had played the lottery, … If I hadn’t studied, … If I hadn’t told her the secret, … If I had been born in the 1960s, … We would have all done better if … I’d have had more energy if …. I’d have been happier if … We’d have taken the day off if …