Category: Class

Where Do Tips Go?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Tipping is about showing appreciation for good service whether it’s food delivery or a haircut by giving extra cash to the person who rendered service to you. It’s a show of gratitude.

However, tipping is not a universal practice. It’s ultimately your choice whether to slip or skip that gratuity.

Let’s listen to the audio to learn more about tipping at restaurants.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-211021

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to some employers not giving the tips to their employees?
  2. Should tips be taxed? Explain your stand.
  3. Is tipping a custom in your country? What are some of the common occasions when you leave a tip?
  4. Can you think of jobs where tipping is important?
  5. What’s the smallest and biggest tip you have ever left? Why was that so?
  6. What alternatives to tipping could you offer if you didn’t have any cash?

Make Applying for Jobs Less Painful

C1 – Advanced

Many companies receive a high volume of applications every day and you may be wondering if your applications are being read at all.

Watch the video as it talks about the possibilities of using algorithms that can help companies organize job applications and ensure none fall through the cracks.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do hiring algorithms have benefits for workers?
  2. Is there evidence that these algorithms work? Explain.
  3. Do you think their claim about “fairness” is convincing? Elaborate.
  4. To attract employees, should companies focus on pay and benefits instead of complicated hiring algorithms?
  5. What are your hopes about the future of hiring algorithms?

Energy from Peat

B1 – Intermediate

Peat or turf is a brown matter that looks like dirt. It is formed by the partial decay of vegetable or organic matter. They now have a new use. They are made into batteries. These batteries are more environment-friendly.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript on sodium-ion batteries produced from peats.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/energy-from-peat-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Compare and contrast lithium-ion to sodium-ion batteries.
  2. What kind of batteries do you usually use? Do you think they are good for the natural world?
  3. What do you normally use batteries for?
  4. Why is it important to find energy sources that are better for the natural world?

The Rick Roll

B2 – Upper Intermediate

If you have been on the internet, you probably have watched a video and suddenly, Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give you Up just shows up randomly.

If you do not know what this is called or just have never experienced it before, it is called the Rick Roll.

The Rick Roll has existed for a while now and still continues to be more prevalent and with such an infamous presence on the internet, you have to wonder how it was created.

Watch this video to find out.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, do you think the Rick Roll continue to be prevalent? Why or why not?
  2. Have you ever come across the Rick Roll? What made it a popular meme?
  3. Do you think Rick Rolling is a good or a bad thing?
  4. If you have been Rick Rolled, what is the best Rick Roll you have ever done or experienced?
  5. Is there a phenomenal song in your country? Is there a significant ingredient that made it a hit? Talk about this song.

People Buy Jeans Again

B1 – Intermediate

For almost two years now, the world has been living through the Covid-19 pandemic. This means there have been many restrictions in the activities that we could do.

However, with the progress we have made to end the pandemic, the restrictions have been relaxed more and more. And because of this, people can go out again and do things almost as normally as before, including going out and dressing up again. Now, we go shopping for nice clothes again. This made the sales of clothing companies like Levi’s to increase again.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript on Levi Strauss & Co.’s sales going up again.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/people-buy-jeans-again-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. Have you shopped more after the pandemic restrictions have been relaxed? Why or why not?
  3. Do you think that businesses in your city/country are recovering now? Elaborate.
  4. What businesses suffered the impact of the pandemic? How have they been affected?
  5. Do you like wearing jeans? Why or why not?

Used To + Infinitive and Be or Get Used To + Gerund

There are often confusions on using used to + infinitive and be/get used to + gerund. These two are used in absolutely different context.

USED TO

We use used to to say that something existed or occurred repeatedly in the past that is no longer true.

Sentence structure:

Subject + used to + infinitive(base verb or simple form of the verb)

Examples:

I used to drive on the left side of the road.

She used to live in a big city.

They used to work long hours.

We use ‘did not use to’ to express it in the negative form. There is no need to add ‘d’ to use as did is already in the past tense.

I didn’t use to drive on the left side of the road.

BE USED TO

We use be used to indicate familiarity with something or a habit. Being used to something means it is not something strange or new to you.

Sentence structure:

subject + be +used to + gerund

Examples:

I am used to driving on the left side of the road.

She is used to living in a big city.

They are used to working long hours.

The negative for be used to is ‘be not used to’.

I am not used to driving on the left side of the road.

GET USED TO

This is related to ‘be used to’. However, ‘get used to‘ talks about the process of the subject becoming familiar with or getting accustomed to something. It could mean that the subject has just started doing something and is expected to it regularly/more often in the future.

Sentence structure:

subject + get + used to + gerund

Examples:

I am getting used to driving on the left side of the road.

She is getting used to living in a big city.

They are getting used to working long hours.

We use ‘not get used to’ to say it in the negative form.

I am not getting used to driving on the left side of the road.

Make or Do

Make and Do are two very common and quite similar verbs that we use. It can be confusing to know which one to use.

Remember:

We use Make when building, creating or producing something. It focuses on the result or product of an action.

Examples:

Make a plan.

Did you make that dress?

They made a decision.

We use DO when we talk about actions, tasks or general activities. It focuses on the act itself.

Examples:

I am doing some housework.

We will do some shopping tomorrow.

I did well in the interview.

We usually use things, everything, nothing, something, anything etc. when we use DO to talk about general activities.

Examples:

She does everything for me.

I did not do anything to help her.

They are doing nothing.

Below are some expressions with ‘ do‘ and ‘make‘.

Do

do exerciseI like doing exercise every morning.
do the laundryThey do the laundry on weekends.
do a jobShe does that job well.
do nailsAlice likes to do her nails.
do researchThey have to do more research.
do the dishesYou have to do the dishes after dinner.

Make

make dinnerI will make dinner tonight.
make noiseThey always make noises.
make a choiceYou have to make a choice now.
make a paymentI would like to make a payment.
make a promiseI made a promise to her.
make moneyI make money by selling houses.

There are many standard expressions with ‘make’ and sometimes using ‘do’ makes more sense.

Please make your bed.

Making the bed means to arrange your pillows and sheets after you slept in it. It may make more sense to use do because you are doing the action of arranging your bed.

I will make a call to the client.

Make a call simply means to call someone. Again, it may seem that using do is a better choice because we are talking about the action of calling someone over the telephone.

Supermarkets Go Green

B1 – Intermediate

Much of our wastes come from supermarkets. It’s all the plastic packagings used in every single product they sell. But Britain’s largest supermarket Tesco plans to go green. It’s going to be good for the environment but not for the consumers’ budgets. As these changes are more expensive. Customers are not so happy about this.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript on supermarkets going green.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/supermarkets-go-green-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about Tesco going green?
  2. Would it be possible for all supermarkets to do the same? Why or why not?
  3. Do you agree or disagree that not a lot of customers care about the natural world and most only care about low prices? Why? 
  4. Do you care more about the environment or low prices of products? Why?
  5. What other things can supermarkets do to save the environment?

Embrace the Joy of Missing Out

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Social media has opened our world to a whole new world of endless possibilities. Most of what we see is how incredible people live their awesome lives.Without realizing it, this constant exposure to wonderful aspects of other people’s lives haunts us.

Read more about the dangers and benefits of missing out.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200207-why-you-should-embrace-the-joy-of-missing-out

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the factors that drive people to feel ‘FOMO’?
  2. Do you agree or disagree that social media is the biggest culprit in being anxious about missing out on something?
  3. Do you ever feel ‘FOMO’ at times? Talk about those times and what do you usually do to overcome this syndrome?

Japanese Royal to Marry a Commoner

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Japan has very strict lineage rules for royal families which state that male royals can marry commoners but female royals cannot. Princess Mako will not accept the payoff she is entitled to upon abdication. We all know the prestige and wealth that royal families tend to enjoy but this is one of the downsides of being a member of the royal family.

Read more about Japan’s Princess Mako and her upcoming wedding to a commoner.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58758317

Discussion Questions:

  1. Which aspects make this wedding very controversial in Japan?
  2. What do you think of Japan’s very strict lineage rules?
  3. How would you compare Japan’s monarchy to other countries’?
  4. What are your thoughts on royals marrying commoners?
  5. What is your opinion on monarchy?