#TeamSeas: Removing 30 Million Pounds of Trash

B2 – Upper Intermediate

If you browsed the internet in 2019, you would have probably heard of Team Trees, a campaign started by Mr. Beast and Mark Rober, two very famous content creators found on YouTube. This campaign showed that the younger generation still care about Earth’s environment and they have done it again.

Every 1 US dollar donated to this campaign, 1 pound of trash will be removed from the ocean. Many content creators are supporting this campaign and as of writing, #TeamSeas has already gathered $14,379,559.00 in donations.

Let us find out what #TeamSeas is about by watching the video below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think #TeamSeas will reach its goal of 30 Million US dollars?
  2. If you had spare money, would you donate to this amazing cause?
  3. In your opinion, will #TeamSeas help the planet?
  4. Based on this campaign, do you think it’s possible that there will be 90% less trash in the ocean by 2040? Is it possible, in your opinion?

Modal Verbs – Must and Have to

Must and Have to are modal verbs that show necessity, obligation and prohibition. They have little differences in their usage.

Must’ is used to imply that the obligation is personal. It is an obligation the speaker sets for himself. We can only use this form in the present and in the future.

Basic sentence structure:

subject + auxiliary verb must + main verb base

subjectauxiliary verb (must)main verb (base form)
Shemustgonow.

Examples:

I must finish this task. (Finishing the task is an obligation the speaker took on himself)

I must go.  (obligation set by the speaker)

I must learn how to drive. (obligation set by the speaker)

Have to’ also implies obligation. However, this obligation is something external. It is something someone else asked the speaker to do and the speaker cannot change it. We can use this form in the past, the present and the future.

Basic sentence structure:

subject + auxiliary verb + have + to-infinitive

subjectauxiliary verbMain verb (have)to-infinitive
Past SimpleShehad to leaveearly.
Present SimpleIhaveto eatfast.
Future SimpleTheywillhaveto meetsoon.

Examples:

I have to send the report as soon as possible. (Sending the report is a duty given to the speaker.)

They had to stay there longer. (They were required to stay longer)

I have to leave now. (Leaving now is required of the speaker)

For the question form, it is more common to use “have to’ than must’. It is used to ask if something is required or an obligation.

Why do you have to go?    – more common

Why must you go?             – less common

Does he have to drive?      – more common

Must he drive?                    – less common

What do we have to say?   – more common

What must we say?            – less common

The negative forms of these two have different meanings.

The negative form of ‘must’ is ‘must not’. It shows that something is not allowed.

He mustn’t sleep at work.

You must not leave the house.

They must not stay outside.

The negative form of ‘have to’ is ‘don’t have to’. It shows that something is not necessary but you can do it if you want to.

You don’t have to attend the meeting.

They didn’t have to join the club.

She doesn’t have to wear the dress.

Why Are We Wasting So Much Food?

C1 – Advanced

It’s all too common in this day and age that food waste statistics are jarring. Food can be wasted in the supply chain that begins on the farm, then goes through the harvest, packing, processing, and retail shops.

There are 1 billion malnourished people around the globe and yet one-third of edible food products are wasted every year.

Watch the video to know more about food waste.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can food-waste minimization be achieved? What can you do in your daily life to limit food waste?
  2. With food prices so low, how can we convey to consumers the value of food and importance of not wasting it? 
  3. What are the top three things governments can do to encourage food loss and waste reduction in their countries? 

Would (Past Habits)

Would is a slightly more formal way of expressing repeated past habits that we no longer do. These past actions do not take place anymore.

The sentence construction usually starts with a subject followed by would and then the base form of the verb. Consequently, for the negative we use the same formula but we replace would with would not or the shorter form wouldn’t.

Subject + would/wouldn’t + base form of the verb

Examples:

Every weekend, I would go hiking.

When we were young, our parents would take us to the park every Sunday.

My teacher would give me after-school exercises everyday.

On rainy days, we wouldn’t go out.

When I was a child, my father wouldn’t give me the time of the day.

My next-door neighbor wouldn’t bat an eye whenever he heard noises from my apartment.

Would can also be used with always, often, constantly etc. when talking about repeated past actions.

As a teenager, I would always sneak out of our house at night.

I would constantly correct my colleagues and they didn’t like it.

Back in college, I would often go to concerts.

In English, if an action only happened once, we do not use would + base form of the verb. Furthermore, don’t use it to talk about past states.

Examples:

I moved to Madrid in 2010. –(action that happened only once)
I would move to Madrid in 2010. – incorrect

I used to be a writer. –(past state)
I would be a painter. – incorrect

Want vs. Would Like

Both want and would like, as verbs, mean to desire or wish for something.

Want suggests a demand.

Would like is a more polite and formal way of expressing what you want.

Examples:

I want a soda. (could be urgent)
I would like to have a soda. (more polite)

I want to have dinner with you. (could be demanding)
I would like to have dinner with you. (more polite)

I want to speak to you. (could be urgent and demanding)
I would like to speak to you. (more polite)

Want is always followed by a complement to have a complete thought. It could be a noun or pronoun as an object, a to-infinitive form of the verb or an object + verb.

Examples:

Do you want cookies? (noun object)

I don’t want them. (pronoun object)

Do you want to eat them? (to-infinitive)

The host wants him to try the cookies. (object + to-infinitive)

Would like is usually followed by verbs in the the to + infinitive form or an object.

Examples:

I would like to try them. (to try is an infinitive)

I would like to eat it. (to eat is an infinitive)

I would like to have pasta. (to have is an infinitive)

I would like a cup of coffee. (coffee is an object)

I would like a tour. (tour is an object)

I would like an orange juice. (orange juice is an object)

The short form of would like is ‘d like.

Examples:

I’d like a cup of coffee.

I’d like to try them.

I’d like to eat it.

Be mindful of the use of gerund with would like as it may change the meaning of the sentence.

Example:

I would like to dance. (This means right now I want/wish/desire to dance.)

I’d like dancing if I could. ( This means I would like to dance but I don’t know if I have a chance to actually dance or if I have the skills to dance. )

Should Fast Food Sponsor Sport?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There are millions of sports enthusiasts who are always tuned in to big sporting events in the world such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. For these spectators, it is hard to ignore the large banners of sponsors all throughout the match. Some experts believe that these advertisements are contributing factors that lead to people consuming them.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript on fast food sponsorships in sports.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-211104

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you a big sports fan? Do you always watch big sporting events? Why or why not?
  2. How important is sponsorship in these events?
  3. How does brand loyalty and unhealthy food and drinks companies sponsorship result to obesity?
  4. Do you agree that these companies should be banned from sponsoring big sporting events?

French Diet Secrets for Health and Happiness

B2 – Upper Intermediate

People are fascinated by the French diet as it allows them to be healthy and thin without dieting or exercising and just merely using the French principle. How does a population that loves steak, cheese, bread, and desserts avoid going to the gym but manage to stay healthy and live long?

Click the picture below and read the tips the French can give us about living longer, healthier, and happier lives. Be able to answer the questions that follow.

https://empoweredsustenance.com/french-diet-healthy/
https://empoweredsustenance.com/french-diet-healthy/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the French diet?
  2. How important is diet to you? Explain.
  3. Based on the article, which tips have you ever tried before? Did they work? Share your experiences.
  4. Which of the tips did you find fascinating or strange and why?
  5. How do you keep yourself fit and healthy?

How I Use Sonar to Navigate the World

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Echolocation is a skill we usually associate with animals such as bats and whales, but some blind humans also use the echoes of their own sounds to detect obstacles and their outlines.

Find out more about how echolocation is learned and how the brain adapts to vision loss.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about Daniel Kish’s upbringing compared to more conventional parenting styles for blind/disabled children.
  2. If you had to lose one of your senses, which would you choose and why?
  3. Rank your senses in order of importance. Elaborate.
  4. What do you think are the advantages of being blind?

The Power of a Mother’s Love

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Unconditional love of a mother is vital to one’s well-being. It has a long-lasting and profound impact to a person’s overall development.

She is the anchor of not only her children’s life but her whole family. Her love is the fuel that gives us power to do impossible things. On her love depends the emotional foundation of her children. The reason why nobody should belittle the power of mother’s love.

Read the article about the power of a mother’s love.

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/the-power-of-a-mothers-love/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Describe your mother. What are her best qualities?
  2. Share your most unforgettable moment with your mother.
  3. Do you consider your mom as your bestfriend? Why or why not?
  4. How can a good mother-child relationship be fostered?

Dealing with Teen Depression

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Teenage years can be arduous especially during the break and peak of Covid-19 when kids and teens need to be stuck in their houses. This occurrence has lessened the vibrance of their social lives which is one of the reasons of their happiness and growth.

Though it may be temporary feelings for them, it is a very serious and debilitating mood disorder that can definitely affect their way of thinking.

Learning more about this will give us an all-around idea for us to understand what teenagers are going through.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/teenagers-guide-to-depression.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. How was your teenage life? What are the best and worst moments that you remember when you were a teenager?
  2. How can you help someone who is going through teenage depression?
  3. What important piece of advice will you give the teenagers of this generation?