B2 – Upper Intermediate
In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, many countries locked down and pretty much the world seems to be put on a stop. It has been necessary for “essential” services to be business as usual though.
Watch this video and find out about some countries’ culture based on what they think is considered indispensable for the whole duration of the stay-at-home policy.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the essential services mentioned in the video?
- Do you agree that those shops/services are essential?
- If you would be asked this question, what items/services or businesses do you deem are absolutely necessary?
- What are the “essential” services that has remained open in your country during the quarantine? Why are these services/businesses very important?
4 replies on “The Unexpected Items Deemed Essential”
1.- What are the essential services mentioned in the video?
It depends on the specific country. For example, some services allowed to remain open are: chocolate shops and cheese shops in France, gun stores or marijuana dispensaries in some places of the United States, toys shops in Australia,…
2.- Do you agree that those shops/services are essential?
I agree with the fact that all the shops related to food are essential. However, from my point of view, toys, marijuana or gun stores are not crucial. In addition, regarding the toys in Australia, I guess there are ways to buy toys online, physical shops are unnecessary. Even we can apply the same logic to guns in the United States.
3.- If you would be asked this question, what items/services or businesses do you deem are absolutely necessary?
For me some examples are:
– Food stores and small supermarkets.
– Healthcare services. They include hospitals, pharmacies,…
– Public transport (with restrictions on the capacity)
tiendas de informatica.
– All the services related to transport in general.
– IT shops, because you may have technical problems staying at home all the time.
4.- What are the “essential” services that have remained open in your country during the quarantine?
Basically the ones I have mentioned in the previous answer.
Why are these services/businesses very important?
Because they all are related (directly or indirectly) to basic needs, I mean, food, health and welfare mainly.
Very well done writing your answers to these questions. Interesting to know what other countries think are essential, isn’t it?
How about you say this phrase this way:
physical shops are unnecessary
> keeping the physical shops open is unnecessary
Keep up the excellent job!
1.- What are the essential services mentioned in the video?
According to the video, there are differences between the countries. And what a country considers essential tells us a lot about his culture. For instance, in France is essential all the boulangeries, fromageries, cheese shops, wine merchants and chocolatiers. In the U.S. depends on where you live: gun stores or marijuana dispensaries have been allowed to remain open
2.- Do you agree that those shops/services are essential?
No, I don’t agree. My own concept of ” essential” is quite different.
3.- If you would be asked this question, what items/services or businesses do you deem are absolutely necessary?
In my opinion, essential services are all related to health and food.
4.- What are the “essential” services that have remained open in your country during the quarantine?
In my country so far the services that have been allowed to remain open are small supermarkets, local shops like groceries or bakeries and pharmacies.
5.- Why are these services/businesses very important?
Because are all related to taking care of people, which at this moment is the most important thing. Leisure, resting or holidays will come later. We need to deal with the pandemic and take control before making the next steps.
Well done putting your thoughts into words. Please look at these sentences and see how you can improve them a bit:
For instance, in France is essential all the boulangeries, fromageries, cheese shops, wine merchants and chocolatiers.
> For instance, in France, all the boulangeries, fromageries, cheese shops, wine merchants, and chocolatiers are what they consider essential.
In the U.S. depends on where you live: gun stores or marijuana dispensaries have been allowed to remain open
> In the U.S., it depends on where you live. Gun stores and marijuana dispensaries have been allowed to remain open.
Very impressive work!