B2 – Upper Intermediate
Not all the time we see each other eye to eye. Each and everyone of us has our own opinions and beliefs. It is virtually impossible for everyone to have the exact same thoughts about something.
The important thing is to be accepting and tolerant of this difference in viewpoints.
Listen to the audio and read the transcript and be ready to ponder whether it is OK to disagree.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260101
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “to take the heat out of the environment” mean here, “Generally, people make better decisions and are more engaging and more open when they’re happier, but much of the time it will be just a case of calming down to try and take some of the heat out of the environment.” Use the expression in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What is does “silver bullet” mean? “Political scientists think the silver bullet is to get offline and meet people.” Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “divided” mean here, “By meeting people who have different opinions and beliefs to you, the more you’ll realise they’re not that different to you at all. And that could make you more accepting and lead to a society that is less divided.” Use the word in this context in a sentence. Give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- Is it OK to disagree? Share your opinion.
- What are the pros and cons of disagreements?
- Share your perspective on this, “We are becoming a more divided society.”
- Share your thoughts on this, “We might like to believe that we’re accepting and tolerant of others’ beliefs, but for many people it can be difficult to communicate with people who have very different opinions to our own.”
- Talk about your own experience disagreeing with others. How did you handle that situation?