Category: Class

Cosmetics Contain Toxic Chemicals

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Many people, especially women, like wearing makeup. It is their way of enhancing their overall appearance and consequently boost their confidence. Cosmetics are one those products that people so commonly consume but we never stop to think whether they are safe or not. 

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about cosmetics containing toxic chemicals.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/half-of-us-cosmetics-contain-toxic-chemicals/5992067.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are PFAs and what are their effects?
  2. Do you think it’s possible for cosmetic companies to go PFA-free eventually? Why or why not?
  3. As a consumer, what is your reaction that cosmetics out there contains toxic chemicals linked with serious health conditions? Do you think you’ve used/consumed products that contain PFAs?
  4. Do you always check food and medicinal products? Do you think they are properly labeled?
  5. What other information do you wish to see on food and drug labels?
  6. Do you think the cosmetic industry has betrayed its consumers? Why or why not?

A Cleanse Won’t Detox Your Body

B2 – Upper Intermediate

“One green juice a day keeps the doctor away.”
It is said that detox diets can eliminate toxins from our body
and can help with weight loss but Dr. Jen Gunter explains these detox products don’t actually remove toxins and worse, could hurt our health even more.

Watch the video on how you can enhance your body’s natural detoxification.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on cleansing and detoxing? Have you ever done them?
  2. How do you take care of your liver?
  3. Why do we have to be careful with supplements?
  4. For you, what is the best self-care?
  5. What are the things you do or treatments you get to take care of your body?

Woodland for City Kids’ Better Mental Health

B1 – Intermediate

City kids do not enjoy the natural surrounding countryside children do. According to results of a new study, for better mental health and thinking skills of children who live in cities, they should visit and experience nature too.

Read this article on how woodlands or natural environment is good for children’s mental health.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2107/210723-woodland-0.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree that natural environment is important for a child’s development? Elaborate.
  2. What are other things important to children’s development?
  3. Do children who are closer to nature behave better? Why or why not?
  4. Describe the environment you grew up in?
  5. Do you enjoy “the sights, sounds and smells of a forest”? Why or why not?

Flavonoids Cut the Risk of Dementia

B1 – Intermediate

Because people are able to live longer now, more illnesses affect the elders. One condition common among old people is dementia. It is a condition that greatly affect an old person in the late stages of their life. There are ways to reduce the risk of having dementia.

Read this lesson about flavonoids and how good they are for our brain health.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2107/210731-flavonoids-0.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘dementia’?
  2. What are other ways to prevent dementia?
  3. Do you think flavonoids are really effective in improving our brain health? Why or why not?
  4. What do you do to make sure your brain is healthy in the long-term?
  5. What is something you would never want to forget?

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Ethical Problems with Human-Monkey Chimeras

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Netflix’s new sci-fi series entitled “Sweet Tooth” is a story about a world where crossbreeding between humans and animals is possible. In real-life, it is a lot more complicated.

Although the development of the first ever human-monkey embryos proves to be a massive achievement in science, it might be cause for some ethical issues in the long run.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about chimeras and the ethical issues surrounding their development.

https://theconversation.com/first-human-monkey-embryos-created-a-small-step-towards-a-huge-ethical-problem-159355

Discussion Questions:

  1. Does it make sense to make chimeras? Elaborate on your opinion.
  2. Do you think it was a good idea to destroy the produced human-monkey hybrid? Support your stand.
  3. Why is it important to continue researches on chimeras in the future? 
  4. How do you feel about chimeras? 

Tax on Sugary and Salty Snacks

B1 – Intermediate

The UK has had more and more problems with obesity in the past few years. The government needs to a find solution to end this national health issue. A way that they have thought of is to tax foods that are sugary and salty. The media calls it the ‘snack tax’.

Read the article about the UK government’s plan to put taxes on unhealthy snacks as a way to fight obesity in the country.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2107/210719-snack-tax-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on the UK government’s plan to tax unhealthy snacks?
  2. How would you feel if your government did the same thing in your country?
  3. What are ways to motivate people to eat healthy?
  4. How can we make a better food system for our children and grandchildren?
  5. What are ways to fight obesity?

Expensive Printer Ink

B1 – Intermediate

More and more, we are trying to go paperless. However, printers are still very useful to many people. Would you be surprised if we said you can buy a liter of printer ink for $846?

Read the article about the costliest liquid – branded printer ink.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2107/210727-printer-ink-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of a printer ink that costs $846 a liter? Why do you think this printer ink is so expensive?
  2. Do you agree or disagree that “printer ink shouldn’t cost more than perfume”? Explain.
  3. How much is your printer ink? Would you buy a very expensive printer ink like this? Why or why not?
  4. Have you got a printer or not? What do you usually print? 
  5. Should we limit or stop printing on papers already and just go fully paperless?