Category: Class

Dresden Museum Heist

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Thieves broke into one of the world’s oldest museums stealing nearly 1 billion in treasures from the Green Vault in Dresden, Germany.

Let’s watch the video and learn more about the said heist.

Discussion Questions :

  1. How important are those cultural treasures stolen?
  2. What can be improved in museum security to prevent future heists?
  3. Describe the museums in Spain and how safe the historical artifacts housed there are.
  4. Talk about a similar story of a museum being burglarized.

Apple Removes Customer Reviews

B1 – Intermediate

Apple has removed its customer reviews and ratings from all products of the Apple website. The company has stayed silent about this matter. It’s still not clear though as to why this has happened.

Read the article to find out more about this news.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1911/191125-customer-reviews.html

Discussion Questions :

  1. Why do you think Apple removed the customer review section?
  2. What is your opinion about Apple removing their customer review section?
  3. If a page/product/service, especially online, does not have any reviews/review section, does it make you less interested in their product or service? Talk about it.
  4. If the product or service has mixed reviews, how do you decide which to believe?
  5. How important are customer reviews for customers and businesses?

The Best Companies to Work For

B1 – Intermediate

A new report ranked companies to find out the best places to work in. It considered workers’ satisfaction with their jobs. Google was on top of this list.

Read more about pay and benefits in companies.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1405/140527-pay-benefit-package-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the benefits of Google employees?
  2. What are the best companies to work for in your country?
  3. If you were happy working for a company, would you go on holiday less?
  4. What are the important benefits you want to receive from the company you are working for?
  5. What are the good and bad things about your company?

Nerds vs Popular Kids: Who Wins in Adulthood?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We’ve seen movies about high school life where students are divided into popular ones, who are at the top of the hierarchy, the nerds, who are at the bottom and somewhere in between are the less cool kids. The popular ones tend to bully the nerds and the ones in the middle are playing along with it. This is a reality. In all social groups, there are leaders, followers, and the oppressed.

Let’s watch the video and learn more about the likely future of these youngsters.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you classify your status when you were still in high school? Were you one of the popular or nerdy ones?
  2. What are your experiences with popular and nerdy kids?
  3. Explain instrumental targeting. Have you been a subject of it? Have you ever used this approach?
  4. Describe the high school reunion effect.
  5. Do you agree with the study that nerds/geeks are more likely to be successful in adulthood?

This Device Fights Phone Addiction

B1 – Intermediate

Some students at the University of Indonesia are working on an iteration of a device that monitors signs of smartphone addiction.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to learn more about “Nettox”.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/indonesians-make-device-to-fight-phone-addiction/5156493.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does Nettox work? What do you think of this device?
  2. Why are smartphones and mobile apps addictive?
  3. Is it possible to live without a smartphone and social media in this day and age? Why or why not?
  4. In your opinion, at what age should a child be given their first smartphone?
  5. What are other ways to avoid phone addiction?

The Life Cycle of a T-shirt

C1 – Advanced

T-shirts are one of the most popular pieces of garments. Have you ever wondered how your shirts are produced and where they end up when they’re deemed worn out?

Watch the video and learn how t-shirts are made and what its environmental effects are.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain the life cycle of an average t-shirt.
  2. What do you do with old items of clothing you don’t like wearing anymore?
  3. Do you like shopping for clothes?
  4. Having the knowledge on impacts of garment wastes on the environment, would this cause any changes in your clothes shopping behavior?

Gene Editing for Cancer

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Cancer is undoubtedly one of the worst diseases one can ever be so unfortunate to contract.

In the US, doctors have started using gene editing to help cancer patients with their bouts with this dreadful disease.

Listen to the podcast and find out more about gene editing and how it can help fight cancer.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/doctors-report-first-us-tests-of-gene-editing-for-cancer/5158217.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on this breakthrough?
  2. What other ways to treat cancer do you know of?
  3. How prevalent do you think the incidence of cancer is in your country?
  4. Why do you think more and more people contract cancer?
  5. What might be the reasons we haven’t discovered an effective treatment for cancer?

Mental Health in the Workplace

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A large number of workers suffer from mental health issues at work. Life becomes very complicated for those who struggle with mental health problems.

Listen to the podcast and find out more about the topic of mental health and learn some things people can do to help and cause change.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-191114

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can be done to raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace?
  2. What are the effects of it on people’s lives?
  3. How is mental health treated in your workplace?
  4. What are things your company is doing to address its employees’ mental health needs?
  5. What are your thoughts on mental health leaves?

FBI Interrogation Techniques You Can Actually Use

C1 – Advanced

Have you ever been in a situation where you are certain of what took place but you still feel the need to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth? You are looking for a confession, perhaps to make you think slightly better of the person or to just simply validate what you have already known for so long.

Let’s watch the video and find out some techniques professional interrogators use to get someone to spill the beans.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the Reid technique? Have you applied it in a personal situation?
  2. In your own opinion, how effective is this technique?
  3. What is the difference between ‘interrogation’ and ‘interview’?
  4. What is the difference between ‘objection’ and ‘denial’?
  5. Talk about a situation where you had to get the truth out of another person.

The Only US State Highways Where Automobiles Are Banned

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In the U.S. state of Michigan, Highway M-185 is the safest road in America. It is the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned. The restriction dates back to 1898. Since the ban, only a few vehicles have driven on the asphalt, other than the city’s emergency vehicles.

Watch the video to know more and be able to answer the questions that follow:

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of a car-less highway?
  2. Would you like to live in this kind of state? Why?
  3. What are the advantages and drawbacks of living without automobiles in one’s place?