Category: Class

Malaysia’s 92-year-old Leader

B1 – Intermediate

Mahathir Mohamad, 92, is Malaysia’s next prime minister and the world’s oldest elected leader.

He is known as one of Malaysia’s strongmen. He has ended 60 years of rule of the Barisan Nasional (BN) party.

Read about the oldest leader from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1805/180512-oldest-leader-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree that there should be an age at which all leaders must start with/retire from their political careers? Explain.
  2. What are the most important things for a leader to have (e.g. experience, charisma, qualifications, youth, etc.)?
  3. What is your opinion about having a 90-plus-year-old leader in your country?
  4. How are younger/older leaders better leaders?
  5. Would you be a good leader? Why or why not?

Child Grooms

B1 – Intermediate

UNICEF’s newest report finds that over 23 million young boys are forced to get married even before they turn 15. Most stories we hear about child marriages involve girls but in Africa, Latin America, Asia and nations in the Pacific, child grooms are very common.

Read about child grooms from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1906/190610-child-grooms-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this report?
  2. How does getting married at an early age affect an individual?
  3. What do you think is the best age to get married? Why?
  4. What are the best things about childhood?
  5. Do you know anyone who got married at a very young age?

Road Rage

B1 – Intermediate

Road rage means violent anger due to the stress of driving a vehicle in difficult conditions like traffic jams. Did you know that it is a mental disorder?

Read about road rage from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.english-online.at/society/road-rage/road-rage-aggressive-behaviour.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. What causes road rage?
2. What can we do to prevent road rage?
3. What do you think about the software that can help prevent road rage?
4. Have you ever witnessed drivers in road rage?
5. Do you hear news about road rage in your country?

Ecotourism

B1 – Intermediate

Ecotourism is the alternative to mass tourism. It began in the 70s. At present, it is a fast-growing part of the tourism industry. It is because a lot of people are finding out about it.

Read about ecotourism from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.english-online.at/travel/ecotourism/ecotourism-sustainable.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. What is ecotourism?
2. What are the advantages of ecotourism?
3. What are examples of ecotourism in your country?
4. Talk about your experience going on an ecotouristic trip.

Global Population in 2100

B1 – Intermediate

The UN writes a report about the world’s population. The UN predicts that the number of people will grow in the future.

Read and watch the video about the global population.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/global-population-in-2100-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your own prediction on the world’s population?
2. What are the reasons the population will increase, decrease, or stop growing?
3. Talk about the population of your country.

How Does an Interpreter Juggle Two Languages

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Being an interpreter is a demanding job as they consecutively think and speak in different languages. A slight nuance may actually be catastrophic. Despite the complexities of language and cultural exchanges, how are miscommunications prevented?

Watch the video and learn more about

 

 

Discussion Questions:

1. How do interpreters master their skills?

2. How are interpreters appreciated in your country?

3. How do interpreters prevent miscommunications?

4. What is your impression about this job? Given a chance, would you like to be an interpreter?

5. What are your thoughts on this statement: “War is what happens when language fails”?

Health Care Changes

B1 – Intermediate

In America, health companies must now tell patients how much their health care costs before anything. This way, patients can find places which would cost them the least.

Read and watch the video about some health care changes in the US.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/health-care-changes-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion on this executive order?
2. What are some health care changes you’ve had in your country recently?
3. What changes do you hope to see soon?
4. How is health care like in your country?

What is Employability?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

‘To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to be secure.’

Skills, understandings and personal attributes are all important for anyone to have in today’s job market.

Watch the video to know what employers exactly look for an applicant.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Based on the employers’ answers in the video, give employability skills one should have.
  2. What are the benefits of having employability skills?
  3. What makes you employable?
  4. How have people from your country’s perspectives about employability changed through the years?

Pay Money to Become More Intelligent

B2- Upper Intermediate

What if you could make money or type something just by thinking about it? What if you could get richer, get healthier or even live longer? It sounds like science fiction, but it might be closer to reality than we think.

Super smart people could be walking down the street; men and women who’ve paid to increase their intelligence. Dr. Cerf believes we will be able to control our lives better if we have more control over our brains.

Listen to the audio about smart chips:

 

Read the transcript here: https://deepenglish.com/2019/04/become-more-intelligent/

 

Discussion Questions: 

1. Would you want to get a smart chip implanted on your brain?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of smart chips?

3. What will be the social implications of smart chips?

4. Will the smart chips create intelligence inequality?

5. What are some brain exercises that help enhance our intelligence?

 

The Mysterious Science of Pain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Every painful sensation is coming from our brains and there is no pain without the brain. Does that mean can we think the pain away? Just how much power does the mind have over pain?

These are the biological and psychological factors that influence how we experience pain and how our nervous system reacts to harmful stimuli.

Watch the video to know more:

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you deal with pain?

2. What unbearable physical pain have you experienced?

3. Do you try not to focus and try to just keep trying various things to numb the pain?

4. What pain management techniques do you know of?

5. Have you consulted a pain specialist before?