tell-a-story

Tell A Story About Yourself

Recently I received advice which says that if you want to improve your English speaking skill you should have ideas about different topics. And of course, it is better that you focus on priority topics at first such as your name, family, hometown, friendship, education, and so on.

You don’t have to say the truth 100 percent; instead, you can use your imagination. It is really important to begin and then to correct applying the phrase and grammar rules day by day.

So I’d say it’s an almost true story about myself. In addition, I mention the most common questions that people ask on every topic with high probability. It is better that you try to answer them within your story but don’t restrict yourself with them and expand the story as you can.

And the last point, I determine the ideas inside which every paragraph in the simplest way (special words in English or Persian). It helps ease to remember the paragraph with a glimpse.

Topic 00: Introduce yourself

  • Name
  • Age
  • Accommodation
  • Education
  • Work
  • Hobbies

My name is Mohammad Mollaahmadi, I was born in 1993. I live in Tehran, I hail from Mahallat. I’m graduated Computer Engineering B.S, Computer Science M.S at Tehran Polytechnic. After that, I worked in the Iran Information Technology Organization instead of my military service and finished it recently. Now I am working as a developer for a small medical firm. In my free time, my hobbies are watching movies, climbing the mountains, walking, playing football.

Topic 01 : Name

What is your full name?

My name is Mohammad Mollaahmadi. Actually, my first name is Mohammad and my last name is Mollaahmadi. You can call me Mohammad.

does your name have any special meaning? Is your name common or unusual in your country?

  • Meaning
  • Prophet
  • Popularity
  • Spelling

Mohammad is an Arabic name that can be translated to “praised”, “commendable”, and “laudable” And specifically is the name of the prophet of the Muslims. It is thought to be the most popular name in the world, I disagree but I think it can be one of the ten most popular names in the world. The name has one of the highest numbers of English spelling variants in the world. It has 14 different spellings that the most popular of them in the world is with u and double m (Muhammad) but in my country, it is spelled with o and double m (Mohammad) often.

did your parents choose your name? how did your parents choose your name?

  • All family members
  • Two-part names
  • My father decide

I’m the last child of my family, so in addition to my parents, all of my sisters and my brother participated in choosing my name and even though two-part names were not common like today, they agreed to name me Amir Mohammad. But in the last second my father decided to name me just Mohammad. When I asked him the reason for this decision a few years ago, he answered that “I wanted the exact name of our Prophet to be called at my home”.

If you could change your name would you?

  • My parents’ role
  • Meaning of name
  • Change my name?
    • Sound and Meaning
    • I am Mohammad always

Do I love my name? Yes, of course, I do like the name my parents gave me. It’s not only a part of my identity but also symbolizes the love from my beloved parents. And I think the meaning of my name is so beautiful, it means “praised“. Sometimes I thought if I have the opportunity, would I like to change my name? Now I can say definitely not, I love my name and the very beautiful sound of this name gives a special meaning in my heart and my mind. I am Mohammad for my parents, relatives, friends and I want to be it to the rest of the world for the rest of my life.

Are there many Iranian people who have the same name as you?

Yes, there are. In fact, Mohammad is a popular name in my country and it is definitely because that Islam is the main religion here. Most people prefer religious names such as Mohammad, Ali, Hossein, Taha, and others for boys, and for girls, Zahra, Fateme, Maryam, Narges, and others.

Is there any tradition of naming babies in your country?
Do you have any special traditions about naming children?

There are different traditions for naming children in Iran, just as there are different ethnicities. I mean, every ethnicity has its own traditions. For example, the choice of the name of the newborn child is left entirely to the living grandparents, or sometimes the elder of the tribe or village names it, or relatives and friends suggest the name to the parents. However, in general, these traditions are being forgotten and parents choose the child’s name themselves often.

In my hometown, parents are the primary decision-makers when it comes to naming a newborn child. In fact, they are the ones who decide whether to name the newborn child after their parents, or delegate naming responsibility to the tribe’s elders, or choose the name in consultation with one another, or something else.

What kind of names are popular in Iran?

In Iran, there are two main resources for naming newborn children. Religion and history. many people like to use religious names like Mohammad, Ali, Hossein, Mahdi for boys and Zahra, Fateme, Maryam, Narges for girls. On the other hand, some people like to use historic legend names for their children. The names such as Arash, Sohrab, Ashkan for boys and Atusa, Azadeh, Diba, Sudabeh for girls.

Is it easy to change your name in your country?

I would say you can change it, but I’m not very sure if the procedures are easy because I’ve never known anyone who tried to do such a thing. However, I do think the paperwork required would be quite complicated and the whole process may cost you a lot of time.

In your country do people feel that their names are very important?

There’s no doubt about it. In Iran, names are not only a means of identification. They also deliver parents’ hopes and expectations when a new child is born. Besides, many Iranian believe that names are blessings for newborns, so most parents would try to give their children names that are both beautiful and meaningful.

Topic 02 : Family

Do you get along well with your family? / Do you get on well with your parents?

  • Split to 2 parts
    • Parents
    • Siblings
      • Introduce them
      • Argued
      • Mina and me
      • We grew up

I want to describe my relationship with my family members. I get on well with all of them but I think the topic should be split into 2 parts: 1. parents and 2. siblings

Firstly, I am quite on good terms with my parents, especially my mom. She is a very kind-hearted person, and she has made a lot of sacrifices for my family and me. I extremely respect and love her. But for my dad, you know, he looks strong, unemotional, even sometimes we think he is quite careless about family, maybe because he is too busy at work. However, when I pay attention well, he shows that love for his family with behaviors and sacrifices. So, I love him differently.

Secondly, about siblings, it’s quite difficult to describe clearly. I am the last child from an almost large family which has 7 people, including my parents, my three sisters, my brother, and me. Also, I had an older brother who died at birth.

Had we ever fought or argued? Of course. Put that many people in a single house and how can you avoid disagreements? We fought over toys. We argued about who cheated in various board games. We complained about who did less work around the house. We blamed each other for anything that went wrong. We competed for limited resources like space, privacy, TV control, etc.

Specifically, when I was little, my youngest sister and I always had sibling rivalry. We argued all day, and the truth is that often I have been guilty. My mom was really sad, and we were sometimes punished for that, for example, they did not take us to a picnic or they forced us to clean the garden. But after that and even during the execution of punishment we reconciled. But about other sisters, I always was respectful and they support me also. And finally, my brother and me, we played games like foosball, video games, chess, … with each other and he cheated as he could. Apart from the games, he was always friendly and supportive of me. He helped me with some school work. We went shopping together to buy stuff for the home. And I learned a lot from him.

Then we grew up and went our separate ways. Everyone starts their own family, so we have less chance to meet than before. But we are still trying to get together through today’s technologies such as group video chats. Sometimes we remember some memories of childhood and laughing at the silliness of our arguments that we had as a child.

Which member of your family are you closest to? / Who is your closest family member?

I’m grateful to have such a supportive and caring family who is always there for me no matter what. We have 7 members in the house that’s always full of laughter. Even though I love them all to the moon and back, my sister, Mina, is the one that’s closest to me.

Mina is four years older than me, which might create some sense of generation gap, yet, we still get along well, or at least most of the time.  We spent our childhood together. We did homework, watched TV, played board games, read books. Also, we shared the secrets about our sabotage. Often, we were fighting with each other but sometimes we allied and did some evil and impulsive things. Once, I played at my uncle’s home as I accidentally broke a crystal vase that my aunt adored, Mina backed me up as we put the blame on our poor cousin. What a shameful act! But that was years ago and we learned our lesson the hard way. 

Although we are far from each other now, we still call each other and speak about daily events, our problems, and the news. We got each other’s back and we always will because that’s what siblings do and simply because I love her.

What activities do your family like doing together? / What activities did your family do when you were young?

When all the family members gather at the parents’ house, we try to appreciate the opportunity and talk more and know about our situations. Play the team games like pantomime, board games, video games, foosball. Watch a good movie or sports match, and exchange ideas about it. And go on a family trip; for example, last time we decided to climb a mountain, we packed all of the stuff that we needed and left early in the morning. During this trip, I found a newborn baby turtle alone. It was very small and scary. At the end of the trip, I decided to take it home with me. It lives in our backyard and has grown up and got used to us. Its name is Laki.

Topic 03 : Friends

Do you think friends are important in your life?

There is no doubt that friends play a vital role in our life. They make our lives interesting and wonderful. Without them, we’d be very sad and lonely, but they cheer us up and help in every way possible.

How do people make friends with others? How do you make new friends?

  • Make friendship throw internet
  • My prefer
  • No attempt

Nowadays, making friends has become too easy. People make friends through the internet by joining social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Although still, I prefer to make friends just by sitting next to someone a few times during class, then a friendship logically happens. There is never an attempt on my part to make friends deliberately. Yes, I do interact with people and during that interaction, if I get to meet some people who are like-minded and share common worries, we become friends.

What are the differences between adults and children in making friends?

  • Easier
  • Shorter

I believe there are great differences between adults and children in making friends. First, I believe that children make friends much easier than adults. Maybe it is because they don’t have as many inhibitions as adults do, I mean they do not care about gender, age, race, handicaps, etc. they just want to play and have fun and they will usually befriend everyone nearby. Second, I think the friendships that adults have are longer lasting. For example, adults have lifelong friendships, but children easily move on.

How can be a good friend to others? / What do you think makes good friends?

  • Don’t lie
  • Don’t bother

I think if my friends are certain that I never lie to them, never do things that really bother them deliberately, and do my best whenever they need me, they can count me as a good friend.

Do you keep in contact with friends from your childhood?

When I was a child, my best friend was Javad, who lived next door. We went to the same school, played games and spent most of our time together, and grew up together. Although after high school, we separated, we communicate with each other through the nowadays technological ways.

What qualities do you value in your best friend?

  • Agreement
  • Understandin
  • Well-wisher

It is almost impossible that two different persons agreed about everything, therefore I think there is no need for a 100 percent agreement. Indeed, I believe that best friends are those who understand the differences and try to respect them. On the other hand, I believe that best friends should be well-wishers to each other like family members, and tell each other their mistakes even though make them sad.

Topic 04 : Relatives

Do you often visit your relatives? (Why?)

These days I’m residing in Tehran, therefore I do not at all visit my relatives. However, back in the days when I was still living in my hometown, I didn’t miss any single time visiting them as long as I had the luxury of time. Actually, since I had a very close relationship with my cousins, I visited my relatives at least every week. Now that although I’m many miles away from them, I make an effort to keep in touch with them.

What do you do when you visit them?

My cousins and I are almost the same age so we had a lot of common activities like watching movies and sports matches, playing video games, going to the gym, and going on a trip. Sometimes we spend the night in one of our houses.

When was the last time you visited them? what did you do?

Last month my cousins decided to travel to Tehran suddenly and surprise me for my birthday. It was awesome, we visited each other after months. We went to the cinema, concerts, shop centers, restaurants. We spend most of our time in the city and visit popular places.

Topic 05 : Hometown

What’s your hometown? / Where were you born?
Is that a big city or a small place?
Please describe your hometown a little?

Mahallat is my hometown. It is a province in my country’s central region. It is a small city with a thin population. It is known as Iran’s flower city. The town is both traditional and modern. I call it traditional because there still are old neighborhoods and many festivals celebrated by the locals, yet modern, as it is starting to be developed just like other provinces having much more sophisticated infrastructure.

The career of most people related to the flowers and plants industry like working in the greenhouses and flower shops, supplying materials such as soil, fertilizers, flower pot, and pesticides, exporting flowers to other cities, moving the flowers with trucks, etc.

What do you like (most) about your hometown?

Well, the city is quite small as compared to the vast cities and provinces in my country. and due to having a thin population, most people know each other and are aware of their situation and problems. Therefore everyone is living close together and willing to give others a hand when they need help. This is something that you can see in small cities and make you feel better and I really like it. In fact, I like the hospitality and the love of people there which I hardly find in my current place.

Is there anything you dislike about it?

As a small town, there are a limited number of shopping malls or recreation and sports centers or any other means of entertainment, and they are not always available, so it’s a bit boring for me. This issue has become more apparent since I live in Tehran.

Did you grow up in Tehran?

I lived in this city till 18 years old and after that left it for education in university. I have lived in Tehran for nine years. So Tehran is my second hometown kind of. I grew up, educated, made friends here and I have the most important memories of my life here.

Tehran is the capital of Iran and is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia. It has the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. I have lived, studied, and worked there. In this city, citizens are friendly and are engaged in different businesses and industries. This city has a unique tradition and it is quite distinctive.

Would you like to live there in the future?

Although my city is magical and I am personally used to this city and have some very pleasant memories there – met friends, family, relatives, first academic achievements. But to settle down my life there is not my plan. I’m getting familiar with city life and there are more job opportunities for my future career.

Mashhad is the second-most-populous city in Iran and the capital of Razavi Khorasan Province. It is located in the northeast of the country. It has a population about 3 million. The city is named after the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam. The Imam was buried in a village in Khorasan, which afterward gained the name Mashhad, meaning the place of martyrdom. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the Imam Reza shrine.

Mashhad is also known colloquially as the city of Ferdowsi, after the Iranian poet who composed the Shahnameh. The city is the hometown of some of the most significant Iranian literary figures and artists, such as the poet Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, and Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, the traditional Iranian singer and composer.

Mashhad is Iran’s second-largest automobile production hub. The city’s economy is based mainly on dry fruits, salted nuts, saffron, Iranian sweets like Gaz and Sohaan, precious stones like agates, turquoise, intricately designed silver jewelry studded with rubies and emeralds, eighteen-carat gold jewelry, perfumes, religious souvenirs, trench coats, scarves, Termeh, carpets, and rugs.

Topic 06 : Daily Routine

Please describe your typical daily routine.

Well, on a typical weekday, I get up early in the morning, take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I leave home for my office. After I reach the office, I need to concentrate on my work and I return home at around 6:30 pm. I eat my dinner at around 8:00 pm, read a book, browse the internet and spend time with my roomies and then prepare to go to bed. I usually sleep at around 12:30. If I have an official deadline, I work till late at night.

During the weekend, I wake up late in the morning, then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. I spend time reading books or browsing the internet. After lunch, I go outside to meet my friends who live nearby. We spend some time outside and go to a shopping mall to buy necessary things or visit a theatre to enjoy a movie or go to a park to walk. I usually take my dinner in a restaurant with them and go back home around 10.00 pm. Before I brush my teeth and go to bed at around 12 am, I would scan through my planner for what to do on the following day and maybe listen to some relaxing music.

Do you want to change your daily routines in the future? / Do you ever change your plans?

My daily routine is not unbreakable and if I feel it is necessary to change a part of it, for instance, if I participate in a course that needs to study, I will definitely change it. 

How do you organize your time?

I plan out what I want to do during a particular day the night before. I prioritize my tasks and order them based on urgency and importance.

Do you think young people organize their time in the same way?

Some young people like to be meticulous in how they plan out their time. It helps them get more things done. Others prefer to make little to no plans at all. They feel more comfortable leaving their day open to improvisation and opportunities.

Are you ever late for anything?

I certainly try not to be late for anything, but that is not always possible. I was late for work a few times last week. Thankfully, I didn’t face any issues as I was stuck in heavy traffic.

Topic 07 : Accommodation

What kind of house/accommodation do you live in? Do you like living in a house or a flat?

I live on the third floor of a four-story apartment that has a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms. It’s not really a big house, but it’s right for my roommate and me.

I live with one of my coworkers, who was also my college friend. We share the rent and other expenses like electricity and water bill, so it’s not really expensive.

What is the difference between where you are living now and where you have lived in the past?

I lived in my hometown with my parents before I went to university. My parents’ house is huge with separate rooms for each of the family members and I could make important decisions for my own room, such as what color to paint the walls, how to decorate it, and so on. So it’s really convenient and private. Also, It has a very landscape and huge garden with different trees.

My apartment right now is much smaller than my parent’s house, although I have my own small room I have to share some space with my roommate and consider some restrictions. Conversely, when I was living with my parents I had my own spacious room and it made me feel comfortable.

Please describe the room you live in? Which part of your home do you like the most?

Actually, I spend most of my time in my room. There’s a desk below a bookshelf attached to the wall which is my favorite spot for reading. A bed and a closet are also included.

But probably the kitchen, where we eat together, is the room that I like most. Unlike families in town, we don’t watch TV very often, at least I don’t watch TV so we never sit together in the living room. Dinner is the only time of day that we sit together, enjoy our meals, and discuss current events and news.

How long have you lived there? How long have you lived in your present accommodation?

I’ve been living here since 2019, so it’s 2 years more or less. I thought about moving somewhere else, but living here is pretty great and fun. Besides, it’s really close to my office.

Topic 08 : City / Countryside / Scenery

Is there any beautiful scenery in your hometown?

  • Zagros Mountains
  • Forests, Animals, Mountains
  • Artificial Lake

My hometown is located near the Zagros Mountains in western Iran, where you can see types of forests and magnificent landscapes with a lot of farm animals and spectacular mountains. Also, there’s one large artificial lake formed behind a dam where people can enjoy fishing, especially in summer.

Do you prefer the city or the countryside?
What kinds of cities do you like? Which city do you want to go to?
Do you like the city you are living in now? Do you prefer the city or the countryside?

I would say I’m definitely a city person. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life, along with the endless opportunities to meet new people from all over, the abundance of shopping malls and entertainment centers. So currently, I prefer living in the modern metropolis. However, I believe it is vital to take some weekend trips to rural places, where you can back to nature, find yourself restored and relaxed. But it’s possible that as I become older, I’ll want to get away from the city and return to more relaxed country life.

What do you like to do in the countryside? / Have you ever lived in the countryside?

My grandmother still lives in the countryside. She is a farmer who appreciates the peace and beauty of the countryside so much that she has decided to live there for the rest of her life. I used to spend a lot of time there, such as summer vacations. I now attempt to go there at least a couple of times a year. Because there are basically no technology items, I can accomplish a lot of things there. Actually, we have a shack in the countryside and there’s a river in front of it so I do several water activities such as swimming. During the night, I just read books or enjoy stargazing especially in summer. It appeals to me because it forces me to take a break from social media and allows me to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Topic 09 : Transportation

What public transport is available in your hometown?

To be honest, the quality of public transport services in my hometown is poor. I mean, there are only taxi services for transportation and sometimes I need to wait for half an hour for a taxi to arrive, for example. But in Tehran, where I’m living, there are types of transportation services like buses, taxis, motorcycles, subway trains, bicycles and etc.

How often do you take buses?

I used to use public transport, especially buses, very often when I was a student, but not anymore since I have my own motorbike to commute. Now I use them only when I go out with my friends.

Can you compare the advantages of planes and trains?

Trains are cheaper than planes, but planes are much faster than trains. In trains, you can take as much luggage as you want to, but there is a restriction on planes. Railway stations are there in almost all towns and cities, whereas airports are there in only a few places.

Is driving to work popular in your country?

If we talk about the people in cities, they normally use public transportation since the system is incredibly convenient. Our government invested so much in transportation in cities because the business is centered in those places. However, if we talk about the countryside just like where I come from, we definitely drive to work because there’s no other way unless you’re patient enough to spend so much time waiting for the taxi.

Do you think people will drive more in the future?

I don’t really know, I’m not sure, maybe not! The only thing that I’m certain of is the technology is always evolving. These days we do have self-driving cars, although they’re not yet widespread over the world, still, I have this feeling that one-day people can use them as the main mode of transportation. If that happens, then people will drive less since those cars are computer-controlled.

Would you ride bikes to work in the future?

I don’t think that it’s possible to ride a bike to work because you know, my office is far from my home and I always drive about 20 kilometers there, so riding a bike would lead me to be late.

Topic 10 : Teacher

What qualities should a good teacher have? / What kinds of teachers do you like best?

  • importance
  • passionate about job
  • supportive, approachable
  • genuine care

I think teaching is a very important and often challenging job in the world, especially in lower levels such as elementary and middle school. Because teachers can play a crucial role in making personalities and interests.

So, I believe this is very important that teachers should be passionate about their subject because you know if they show enthusiasm for what they’re teaching, students are much more likely to get interested in that subject and do well in it. And as well as this, I also think teachers should be supportive, encouraging, approachable I mean they should be available to help you whenever you need it, show patience and understanding. generally, they should show genuine care for their students to learn and develop.

Who was your favorite teacher when you were young? / Do you like any teachers of yours?

  • In touch with many
  • Mathematics teacher
  • Teaches well
  • Compare other teachers

Since my childhood, I came in touch with many teachers in different parts of my student life. Most of them are noteworthy and I still miss them. but I would say the Mathematic major teacher in high school was the one I love the most. He always delivered engaging lessons, and unlike other teachers who compel students to learn to get good grades, he showed the beauty in learning and encouraged us to pursue our own interests.

Do you still keep in touch with your teacher?

  • No elementary but uni
  • Contact with professors
  • My supervisor

I’ve lost contact with all elementary and middle school teachers, but I keep in touch with a couple of university professors. As uni professors are allowed to have more of a relationship with students, it was easier to get to know them. My Supervisor and I message back and forth every year to catch up.

Do you want to be a teacher? / Would you want to be a teacher in the future?

  • My experience
  • Advantages of teaching

At university, I have little but very good teaching experience as a teacher assistant. I believe teaching can be deepened my knowledge, on the other hand, the feeling of teaching something to someone else is very enjoyable. I’m hoping to get another chance to feel this way in the future.

Topic 11 : School

Where did you go to school? / What kind of school did you go to as a child?

  • Location
  • I walked …
  • only school
  • size and population
  • behave of teachers

I started elementary school at seven years old. My school was just located near my home, five buildings away, so every day I walked to school with myself, or sometimes with my neighbors.

My school was the only elementary school in my hometown which was established 50 years ago. The school was fairly huge, with an excessive number of students. Besides, the teachers there were always kind-hearted and responsible for their teaching.

Would you say you were/are a good student?

  • good, quiet, shy student
  • homework and classmates

I remember that I was definitely a good pupil. I was a quiet, shy child who never caused my teachers any trouble or played truant. I worked hard on my coursework and got on well with my classmates.

Did you enjoy/do you enjoy studying at school?

  • No love, no hate
  • like learning …
  • know education role …

To be honest I neither loved to go to school every day nor had aversion to school like some of the students who just wanted to play truant from school. But I really like to learn new things from my teachers and friends. And I knew that education would play a crucial role in my future, maybe because all of my siblings were connected in some way with education.

Do you think your country has an effective education system?

  • stressful, creativity, critical
  • cares about grades

However, I have to admit that our education system has somehow become unduly stressful, does not promote creativity and the ability to be critical due to the fact that our society still cares way too much about grades and schools consequently focus on an exam-driven curriculum, which I find quite impractical.

Topic 12: Education

What was your favorite subject as a child?

When I was a child, our country’s educational system was not somehow that you could find your interests and talents from elementary school, but fortunately, it is improving now. However, at that time, I liked lessons that were based on solving problems, like mathematic. And, when I was in high school I completely realized that I really prefer mathematic to other majors and I enjoy using my knowledge to find a solution for new problems that I never have seen.

Describe your education.

Generally, I started elementary school at seven years old, later I went to secondary school at twelve. then at 16, I made it to a high school for gifted students in my hometown and get the mathematic diploma. Then I studied for four years at Kashan university to get my undergraduate degree and two and half years at Tehran Polytechnic, Which is more popularly known as Amirkabir university, to acquire my graduate degree.

What was your major/field of study? / What do you study?

My major in university was Computer Engineering for my bachelor’s degree and Computer Science for my master’s degree. Both of these majors are related to Computer. Computer Engineering focuses on computer applications and included the courses such as operating systems, database design, compilers, software engineering, and so on. But on the other hand Computer Science is about the logic of computers and some of this major’s courses are Algorithm Design, Probabilistic Theory, Theory of computer science and etc. Many of the courses and concepts are common between these two majors and because of that, in my opinion, we can’t and shouldn’t consider them as two different majors. By the way, I really like these majors and if I go back to the past, I will choose these fields again.

Is a good education more important to a boy or a girl? Why?

Good education is important for both boys and girls. Both should be given equal rights to education. In today’s society, women have proven that they can do tasks and get jobs that only men used to have. Women have shown their competency in various fields such as politics, science, sports and etc. Men on the other have also entered some industries that used to be considered as women’s jobs such as cooking, housekeeping, fashion and etc. I think both sexes must be given equal opportunities.

Topic 13: Study

Why did you choose to study that major?

When I was in high school, I discussed with my brother, who was educating in Computer Engineering, about the different courses and their famous subjects and problems and the global competitions in Computer Science. I tried to accompany him in solving some simple problems. This period brought me the method for solving the problems. I mean understanding the problem completely, applying creativity in using different tools and concepts, and being on the challenge to achieve the goal. After a while, I finished my high school education in mathematics and I attended computer engineering at the University.

Do you like your major? (Why? / Why not?)

I am quite happy that I chose computer science as my major. You know, you gain a wide range of skills when studying computer science. Technical skills such as programming, and non-technical skills such as problem-solving and leadership, are among some of them. A degree in computer science can translate to roles in many different industries. From communications and financial companies to software, health care, and governmental agencies, there are no limitations. We live in a time where technology plays an important role in many aspects of life, and so the many skills provided with this degree are in high demand. However, even with so many options, many graduates prefer to stay in the computer industry.

Are you looking forward to working?

Besides, working is actually my plan B just in case I need to make ends meet. In the future, I think my higher degree is my priority. I am always enthusiastic to learn new things and new research topics impress me, so not only will continuing my graduate studies in computer science help me further develop my skills and enhance my researching techniques, but it is also a crucial step to achieve my long-term goals. I decided to pursue my research in a Ph.D. program at a high-quality university with research topics in state-of-the-art.

Topic 14: Work

What do you do? What is your job?

I work as a developer for a small medical firm. This company’s name is KIO, and I’ve been there for about two years. For me, the job was part-time during my military service, but now that I have completed my service, it has become full-time work. My day job required me to work for approximately 8 hours each day. I get off work on Thursdays and Fridays, which I use to spend time with my pals. Apart from that, my freelancing job demands me to work for 2 hours every night. So, on average, I work at my job for 9-10 hours per day.

Describe the company or organization you work for.

The KIO is a medical startup that began its work to create a system for organizing patient dossiers on the internet. We not only built this system in two years, but we also added many functions to it, such as sharing patient dossiers amongst medical teams, creating a platform for displaying and analyzing patients’ medical images, developing AI algorithms for automatically detecting cancer areas in medical images, and so on.

What are your responsibilities?

I was joined to developing’s team of the KIO company by my friend. we try to implement the requirements of the medical team into the system. However In our team, we support each other to finish all the tasks in the best way, each member has a main responsibility too. For example, the responsibility of design and develop a tool for displaying and analyzing patients’ medical images are given to me. This is a critical component of the project, and I always strive to perform my best work.

What do you like/dislike about your job?

Well, the perks of being a developer are that:
1- There is a lot of demand, you know for a good developer, it is easy to find a job. Actually in all domains: support, development and, testing. By gaining more experience and broadening knowledge, it is possible to be even more attractive.
2- you feel satisfaction, I mean you create something every day. This can cause moments of frustration. And provide a lot of satisfaction in the long term. Certainly when the team and the rest of your organization appreciate what you do.
3- You can work as a freelancer. The profession of a developer lends itself perfectly to being a freelancer. This way you make contacts in different organizations and you decide for yourself at what moments you take a vacation. A career is full of freedom.

What I don’t like about this job is that coding is sometimes quite complex. Sometimes you are stuck, with a problem that you do not immediately know the solution to. In some cases, this means that the organization expects you to solve it or get it sorted out in the future. This can cause a lot of frustration in the short term. At the same time, this can ultimately provide satisfaction if it works. Also, there is a lot of responsibility, for example, failed to fix certain bugs at 5:00 PM then it is attractive to continue working for a few more hours. Some developers find it difficult to put this sense of responsibility aside on days off or evenings.

Do you enjoy your work?

Yes, very much. Although the money is not much, I believe that it sets the foundation for me to become a better developer in the future. Furthermore, I get to improve my English constantly. What I appreciate the most is that I can work wherever and whenever I want with no strings attached. It is a lot of fun interacting with so many people and grilling each other to get to the best option available and then we can always go out and play and be part of a lot of things I never thought I could be.

Why did you choose to do that type of work (or, that job)?

My brother was a computer engineer and encouraged me to learn about computer science from a young age. We’d discussed the courses and famous problems, participate in the free global competition, so even when I was 16 or 17 years old I was studying and learning, and I ended up loving it. I chose to major in Computer Science in college and now that I’ve graduated, it’s still what I’m most excited about and interested in doing professionally.

Do you prefer a part-time or a full-time job? Why?

That ultimately depends on your priorities. If you’re in school and need to be available for classes during the day, a part-time job might be a better choice for you. If you have childcare responsibilities or you are caring for an elderly parent, then part-time jobs can also be a great way to stay in the workforce while taking care of your family. If you would rather work multiple part-time jobs rather than a full-time job, that’s also a viable option. By contrast, if you want a higher salary or better benefits, and if you can dedicate most of your daytime hours during the week to a job, then full-time might be your best bet. A full-time job may also be the preferred choice if you hold a college degree or want a longer-term career with more opportunities for advancement. And it is obvious that I prefer to have a full-time job. I worked hard to get educated in university and now I want to use the benefits of full-time work such as high salary, job security, health insurance, and etc.

Which job did you want to do when you were a child?

I used to read books and watch shows about detectives or spies who solved mysteries when I was a youngster, and I wanted to be like them when I grew up. I had a lot of fun doing puzzles all the time, and while reading books or watching shows, I attempted to imagine myself as detectives and criminal investigators collecting evidence, solving crimes, and guessing who committed crimes such as murder or theft. After a while, I understood that this vocation requires you to first be a police officer, so I dropped out, but my passion to solve issues and puzzles remained.

Which job do you prefer in the future? / Would you like to change your job in the future?

I really like working by myself, so I would like to be my own boss. Besides work for the company as a developer, I’m currently developing my own website, so if it’s successful I will leave working for the company and devote all of my attention to it. . This will also give me more time to work part-time on other projects as a freelancer.

Topic 15: Music and Instruments

Do you like music?

Like many others around the world, I loved listening to music. Music has the ability to renew my mind. It also improves my mood on occasion. When I’m stressed, music helps me relax. When I’m in a good mood, music motivates me to do more. It is always the focal point of all of my get-togethers with pals. When I’m sad, music takes me out of glue and moves forward.

What kind of music do you like?

I listen to different types of music, It depends on my mood. When I am happy, I usually come to metal rock to boost up my emotion. When I need to relax or concentrate on studying, I come to R&B. When I am feeling the sense of patriot, I turn to traditional music and so on. However, normally I’m a huge fan of classical music with soft melodies. These are always refreshing my mind.

When did you start listening to this type of music?

I used to like pop music when I was in high school. But then, in college, I was influenced by my rock-music-loving buddies. Although, for the time being, I appreciate many types of music and do not have a favorite genre, recently I was introduced to classical music by my friend, and I began to look for and listen to it more.

Do you want to be a singer?

I’m quite poor at singing, so the thought of becoming a singer has never crossed my mind yet. Furthermore from what I perceive, singing is no piece of cake. Not only does it involve performing on stage, but also regularly interacting with fans and living a very public life. So, me being an extremely private person, the current scenario in the music industry is not conducive to someone like me.

When do you listen to music?

I listen to music at specific times and places: in the park while running and working out, I listen to high-volume rock songs that give me a lot of energy, in the kitchen while working alone, such as cooking and cleaning, I listen to current pop music, and in my room before going to bed, I listen to classic music that relaxes me.

Do you play any instrument and what is it?

I can’t play any musical instruments but I would like to learn to play the violin if the time and opportunity allow me to do so. The violin is also known as the fiddle in some parts of the world and this is a string musical instrument. This instrument looks like a guitar except that the use of the bow to produce the music.

Topic 16: Birthday / Gifts

How do children celebrate birthdays in your country?

It is increasingly common nowadays for parents to throw a birthday party for their children in kindergarten or preschool. Maybe it is because of that they genuinely want their children to have fun so much and this happens when they are with most of their friends and classmates. Traditionally at all birthday parties, kids sing the Happy Birthday song, blow out candles, have meals to gather, play games, snap photos, and so on.

How did you celebrate your last birthday?

This year, for my birthday, I got surprised. You know like last few years ago my family called me and said congratulation and made best wishes. My familiar friends so did it throw social networks. My close friends, on the other hand, who had done nothing like call me or text me during the day, decided to get together and organized a birthday party at our house. When I arrived home they surprised me completely. They bought a cake that looked like a funny lion’s head and supply some gifts. We had dinner, played board games, ate cake, opened gifts, sang some songs, and more of the same. we had a wonderful night together.

What kind of birthday gifts do you like to receive?
What was the last gift you received?

I think I’m fine with any kind of casual birthday presents like flowers, shirts, accessories, perfumes or similar things. It’s much appreciated as long as they can remember my birthday and give me wishes. By the way, an expensive fountain pen with my name engraved on its body is the last gift I received. I really like it because it is a symbol of my friends’ familiarity with my interests and the engraving of my name on the body makes it unique.

Do you prefer receiving a gift or giving a gift?

I think both giving and receiving gifts have their advantages. I feel thrilled when I receive a gift on special occasions like on a birthday, and I also like to give gifts to others and make their day special, and I like to see their reaction when they open it. However, like many others, I prefer to receive a gift because it is more exciting and easier. I mean it does not need to consider the interest of the recipient or make a decision between some options or spend time to provide the gift.

Topic 17: Borrowing and Lending and Sharing

  • Borrowing books from others
    • Not all books
    • Habits
  • Borrowing money from others
  • Lending things to others

Have you ever borrowed books from others?

Many times, I’ve borrowed books from others. However, I’ve done it for novels or books that are only worth reading once. When it comes to valuable books that I enjoy, I prefer to buy a single copy for myself. Because I’m used to writing some things in the margins of them and want to be able to access them at any time. And these are which break borrowing rules.

Have you ever borrowed money from others?

Borrowing money from others isn’t something I enjoy doing, but it’s something I’ve had to do at times. For example, multiple expensive events occur at the same time in the middle of the month, something goes wrong with your credit cards at the time of payment and you don’t have much time, or you have a good chance of buying something at a great discount such as a car or a house. However, I try to borrow money from my parents or siblings first then my closest friends and that’s it. I mean borrowing money from familiar friends, coworkers, or neighbors does not sit well with me.

Do you like to lend things to others?

For me, lending things to others has two aspects. I’m a little intransigent about my belongings, such as accessories, clothes, books, and other similar items, and I only lend them out in an emergency. However, when it comes to money, I’m very flexible, and if I have the desired amount, I won’t be too strict, because I understand that nobody does it for fun, and most likely something serious happened. Of course, I’m referring to people I’m familiar with. Lending a large sum of money or a valuable item to strangers is completely out of the question.

How do you feel when people don’t return things they borrowed from you?

When my friends won’t return what they borrow from me, I will be upset and irritated. I’m a person that keeps their promise, therefore it bothers me when others don’t. For me, it’s a major problem, either the object is too essential or it’s a cheap item. I believe it has something to do with accountability, commitment, and respect. I believe when you borrow anything from someone else, you must return it within the specified time frame, or if you damage or lose it, you must speak with them and explain the situation. So people can try me for once, if they disappoint me I will twist them somehow next time.

What kinds of things are not suitable for sharing?

People usually share their possessions, with the exception of extremely personal objects such as diaries, personal hygiene items, thoughts, dreams, and others. Personal information, such as pin numbers for bank accounts or credit cards, passwords for emails, and the like, should be kept private in case someone takes advantage of it and does anything bad with it.

Did your parents teach you to share when you were a child?

I’m the last child of my family, the last of five children, and so as I grew up I was seeing my parents and my siblings’ behavior and learned a lot of things. Especially about sharing, I was seeing that my parents share things like tools, dishes, even the house for celebrating weddings with our neighbors or our relatives or their friends and lift people’s spirits and get rid of negative energy. I also had my siblings that shared their things with me kindly. So unconsciously they got me to do it. However, when I separated and be independent I had some awful experiences in sharing things that caused me to consider lessons learned and be a little intransigent about my belongings.

Topic 18: Your Opinion about Someone Else

My English Conversation Partner

First and foremost, I would describe her/him as a punctual individual who is always online on time. If she/he needs to cancel a meeting, she/he lets me know a few hours ahead of time because it is extremely important to me and helps me in rescheduling my day plans.

She/He excels at utilizing the truth to answer new questions she/he has never even considered, and I try to learn this skill from her/him. She/he gets into a little problem if she/he wants to talk about an unrealistic subject, but she/he is working on it.

By the way, she/he is patient and polite to me, in the sense that she/he attentively listens to what I’m saying and then attempts to remind me of grammatical and pronunciation problems. However, she may be severe at times and force me to talk about things that I have no idea about. Although this is so hard for me, this is truly pushing me ahead, and I thank her/him for that.

Topic 19: Travel and Festival and Holidays

  • Traveling’s benefits
    • See new things
    • Refresh mind
  • Group traveling
    • Safe
    • Know people
    • Memories
  • Traveling in spring
  • Travel to abroad
  • Travel to space
    • North pole
    • Disadvantage
    • Doomsday
  • Travel by plane
    • Security
    • Late
    • Uncomfortable
    • Limitations
    • Far from city
    • Destinations
    • Wait for quit
  • Longest trip
    • Northern
    • Summer
    • Never get togheter

Do you like traveling?

I think traveling has a lot of benefits. First of all, you can know new people and arts and cultures and places, and even you make new friends. Traveling helps you to refresh your mind and makes you forget the busy work schedule because when you start enjoying yourself for some time, you get charged up. So I sense that travel is a need in our fast-paced society, I strive to put it in my schedule as soon as possible.

Most of the time I get around with my pals and I prefer traveling in a group as it’s always safe and most affordable. Also when we go on a trip as a group we are bonded with different types of people and make a lot of beautiful, sour and sweet memories.

I prefer traveling in spring because besides scenic views the weather and atmosphere remain cool and soothing and it feels good to travel when it’s cool and soul-satisfying.

Which country would you like to travel to in the future?

I haven’t traveled abroad yet. I would like to visit New York and also Switzerland. These are my most favorite and desired destinations because of their scenic beauty and also the people who are very generous and sweet.

Do you want to travel to space?

Travel to space? I can imagine that I make a journey to the north pole but when it comes to space I am quite sure that it will never happen because I will die of the gravity condition, the loneliness, and may be other imminent diseases once I have been on the spaceship. Except when doomsday comes, and there is the need to be evacuated to the other space, I don’t see any interest in traveling there.

Do you like traveling by plane?

Traveling via plane is out of the question for me for a variety of reasons. Only when I need to travel for work or in an emergency case where I need to get to my destination as soon as possible do I prefer to travel by airline.

  • Airport security lines can be long and stressful, and with airlines asking passengers to turn up 2 hours before a flight, you end up spending a lot of time waiting around in the airport.
  • If you’re late for your flight, it’s not as simple as just boarding the next one, you may have to pay full fare for another flight.
  • It’s no surprise that plane travel isn’t very comfortable. Seat space is tight, legroom is limited, and you can’t just get up or switch seats whenever you feel like it.
  • There’s no wifi or power sockets, no fresh air or scenic views, and let’s just not mention the food.
  • As well as limits on liquids and other items, you’ll encounter strict size and weight restrictions on your luggage and you’ll be asked to pay extra if you exceed them, even if it’s just by a small amount.
  • Airports are often located far from the city center, and transfers to and from the city can be expensive.
  • Many destinations simply do not have an airport close by, or you may have to book a ticket with a stopover, which adds more time and waiting around to your journey.
  • Before you can leave the airport you’ll have to wait to get off the plane, wait in line for passport control and customs, and wait for your luggage.

How long was the longest trip you took?

Before the pandemic coronavirus changed everything, I went on a 10-day journey with my friends to the northern regions of the country, which was my longest trip.

It was early summer, and despite the fact that the weather was hot and humid, the pleasure of going to the beach and swimming was enhanced.

To be honest, I believe never can we get together again because some of our friends got married, some moved abroad and the others juggling jobs and businesses.

What is the most popular festival in your country?

My country has a great range of public holidays but to me, the most important one is the Nowruz. Nowruz means “new day” in Persian and is the most important festival of the year in Iran. It is also celebrated in a number of other countries.

Nowruz begins at the exact day, hour, and minute of the spring equinox when night and day are of equal length. This is usually on 21 March. It’s the day when winter changes into spring, and it feels like a new beginning.

People prepare for Nowruz by cleaning the whole house, and everyone in the family helps out. Carpets, windows, and curtains are cleaned. Anything broken is repaired or replaced. Silverware is polished. The house is decorated with flowers. By doing this spring cleaning, people wash away the bad things from the previous year and prepare for better things to come in the new year. They also put on brand new clothes to symbolize a fresh start.

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