Electricity is a vital part of modern life. Almost everything is powered by electricity. We use it in our day-to-day life such as operating appliances, lighting, heating, public transportations, medical necessities, and much more. In our world today, we are nothing without it.
Listen to this audio and read the transcript about how Maidugri, the capital city of the Borno State, live through life without electricity.
There is probably not a single employee in the world who’s free from meetings. The work culture nowadays is so obsessed with meetings that it takes the productivity out of the employee. Instead of focusing on essential work or projects, employees have to sit through some long hours trying to dissect some agenda that oftentimes can be dealt with by a few people in a few minutes.
Now that the digital workspace has been a generally acceptable avenue for the current situation, employees are no less immune to the demands of a meeting now and then. Being able to reach people even when they’re away from the office gives more reasons to accommodate calls for meetings because it is now more possible to do so.
So how do we alter this culture and improve productivity? It really is in our hands. Watch this video for some tips on what to do to be more in control of your calendar.
Discussion Questions:
What has been your experience with meetings in the workplace?
Do you agree with the tips laid out in the video? Why or why not?
Which of the tips is the most effective? Why?
Have you tried any of the tips mentioned in the video? How did it go?
What other tips would you add to the list that would be effective in managing your schedule?
We use reported/indirect speech when someone said something and we need to tell it to others.
We use common reporting verbs such as ‘say’ and ‘tell’ or ‘ask’ if the direct speech is in a form of a question. Since we are talking about something that happened in the past, we use the past tense of the reporting verbs such as ‘said’, ‘told’, ‘asked’, etc.
It is optional to use the conjunction ‘that’ in a reported speech.
In reported speech, we usually use a tense that is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech.
Examples:
Present Simple
Past Simple
“We like dancing”, they said.
They said (that) they liked dancing.
“I travel a lot”, Ana said
Ana said (that) she travelled a lot.
Present Continuous
Past Continuous
“I am drinking wine”, he told them.
He told them (that) he was drinking wine.
“We are playing outside”, John said.
John said (that) they were playing outside.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
“We haven’t done our homework”, they said.
They said (that) they hadn’t done their homework.
“I have been to Barcelona”, she told me.
She told me (that) she had been to Barcelona.
Simple Past
Past Perfect
“Jane finished her work on Monday”, they said.
They said (that) Jane had finished her work on Monday.
“I lived in Catalonia for ten years”, he said.
He said he had lived in Catalonia for ten years.
However, when Past Perfect is used in the direct speech, no verb change is needed.
Past Perfect
Past Perfect
We had taken some lessons before”, they said.
They said (that) they had taken some lessons before.
“She had just returned from school”, she explained.
She explained (that) she had just returned from school.
Future Tense
Present Conditional
He said, “I will be in Los Angeles on Sunday”.
He said (that) he would be in Los Angeles on Sunday.
“We will sing at the concert next month”, they said.
They said (that) they would sing at the concert next month.
Future Continuous
Conditional Continuous
They said, “We‘ll be staying at home next weekend”.
They said (that) they would be staying at home next weekend.
“I won’t be attending the party tomorrow”, she said.
She said (that) she would not be attending the party tomorrow.
If what was said is still true, it’s not always needed to change the tense.
“The sky is blue”, Ana said.
Ana said the sky is blue.
“We go to the school near the church”, they said.
They said (that) they go to the school near the church.
Memories make us who we are. They hold very important knowledge about our lives. They provide us with a sense of self and make up our continual experience of life.
They have a fundamental role in all learning because they let you store and retrieve the information that you learn. However, for some people, it is difficult to retain things they’ve read or learned but they easily remember some of the most trivial information.
Let’s listen to the audio below to find out why we tend to forget the things we learn.
With work getting very demanding nowadays, certain groups of workers are affected by some work arrangements. Parents can easily get away with leaving work early, getting extra days off, or not showing up because of domestic duties. The pressure to cover certain hours or work loads now falls on workers without kids.
Little by little, non-parents feel as if their voices or needs are not as important or respected as those of the parents. They believe that they also deserve the same benefits or leeway that the companies give parents.
Read the article below to see the differences in the work setup that non-parents experience and what they yearn for from the management.
Flight attendants must maintain a certain look. We usually see flight attendants in a business jacket with either pants, skirt, or dress, hair neatly pulled back, all made-up, and wearing heels. However, flight attendants of a Ukrainian airline told their company they are not happy wearing heels and tight skirts anymore.
Listen to this audio and read the transcript about flight attendants’ new way of dressing.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms that have had their genes altered in some way. Genetic engineering can be done with plants, animals, or even bacterias.
In Iceland, researchers are growing genetically modified barley plants inside a greenhouse to create lab-grown meat. They believe that this cutting-edge approach can lower costs, enhance food production and quality, and eliminate dependence on live animals.
Let’s watch the video to learn more about the process of genetically modifying barley plants to grow meat.
What are your thoughts on this process of genetically modifying plants to create lab-grown meat?
Do you think GM food is safe to eat? Explain your stand.
People in the US have been eating genetically modified food for many years without ill effects. Why do you think some people in the rest of the world still have doubts?
Is GM experimentation “unnatural”? Are all “unnatural” things bad? Elaborate on your stand.
How can GM food solve the global problem on food shortage?
Do you sometimes wish it could be summer all year round? Summer times are relaxing and fun. But as delightful as it is, we need the other seasons as well.
The different amounts of sunlight around the Earth during the year creates the seasons. The Earth’s orbit, rotation on its axis, and its tilt are all the reasons for spring, winter, autumn, and summer.
Listen to this audio and read the transcript about the four seasons.
What’s your favorite season? What do you like about it?
What is the best season to visit your country and why?
Does summer feel hotter than it used to? Is autumn shorter or longer? How have the seasons changed?
Do you always shop for new clothes when the season changes? Why or why not?
If you could eliminate one season so that it no longer existed, which would you choose?
John Steinbeck said, “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” Do agree that we need winter so that we appreciate summer? Explain your thoughts.
