Category: Class

Toyota to Save Money

B1 – Intermediate

When companies go through hard financial times, they find ways to lower their expenses. In Toyota’s case, they thought of shutting down some elevators in their main office in Tokyo.

Read the full article to find out more about Toyota’s ways to cut costs.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1607/160710-elevators-1.html

Discussion Questions:
1. Why is Toyota shutting down elevators in their headquarters?
2. What are others ways they are saving money?
3. What cost-cutting measures has your company ever implemented?

Safety of Doctors

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Doctors treat our illnesses and at times, even save our lives when we are confronted with a life-threatening medical condition. An increasing number of Korean doctors are growing more worried about their safety while at work.

Read the article below and find out one of the reasons why a huge number of doctors in Korea want to work abroad.

http://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=261424

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the reason Korean doctors worry about their safety?
  2. State ways on how to solve this problem.
  3. What other work-related perils do doctors face?
  4. What challenges do doctors in your country have to deal with?

Comparison: As … as

As … as

“As + adjective/adverb + as” is used when the things being compared are somehow the same.

Examples:

The temperature today is as low as yesterday. It hasn’t been very warm this past few days.

You have to be as careful as you can in unwrapping this ancient, fragile vase.

She ran as fast as she could to catch up with him.

Not as … as

On the other hand, “not as … as” is used when comparing things that aren’t of equal proportion.

Examples:

The film is not as good as I expected it would be, actually.

The plant hasn’t grown as tall as the others yet.

She’s not as perky as usual today.

 

Other ways to express “not as … as” are: “not quite … as” or “not nearly … as”.

Examples:

The second exam was not quite as difficult as the first one. (The second exam was difficult but the first one was more difficult.)

This new mobile phone is not nearly as expensive as my old one. (My old mobile phone is a lot more expensive than the new one.)

 

Although not as common as “not as … as”, “not so … as” can also be used.

Examples:

Cooking all these dishes was tiring but not so hard as the baking we did.

 

As … as + possibility

“As … as” is normally followed by possibility or ability expressions.

Examples:

Can she submit this document as soon as possible?

Go to the gym as many times as you can a week.

They got to the hospital as fast as they could after hearing about his accident.

As much as / As many as

In terms of making comparisons about quantity, “as much … as” and “as many … as” are used with uncountable and plural nouns, respectively.

Examples:

Sean makes as much money as David but not as much as Dion.

Mia’s parents try to give her and her brother as much freedom as they can.

There weren’t as many tourists on the beach as we expected last weekend.

“As much as” and “as many as” followed by a number are used to refer to a great number of something.

Examples:

There are as many as 8.6 million people living in New York.

The United States produces as much as 230 million tons of garbage per year.

Aging Cure

C1 – Advanced

Aging is inevitable and is associated with changes in our biological, physiological, and behavioral being. Scientists are doing their best to unravel all aging mysteries to come up with an antidote. If scientists discovered a cure for aging, would you take it?

Let’s watch the video to check the discoveries that might benefit us:

Discussion Questions:

1. What 3 tools are scientists experimenting with?
2. Do you think humans will ever be able to stop aging?
3. Would you volunteer for a trial?
4. How long do you want to live?
5. How are senior citizens viewed in your country?

Test 666

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Present Perfect Tense (Advanced)

Present perfect tense is formed by adding the auxiliary verb has/have and the past participle form of the verb.

Affirmative
has + done
have + done

Negative
has not + done
have not + done

Question
Have (subject) done ?
Have (subject) not done ?

USAGE:

1. Present perfect is used when the action continues from the past until now.

Examples:

Their baby has brought them so much joy ever since she was born.
They haven’t woken up since they took a nap earlier this afternoon.
Have you ever ridden a rollercoaster before?

2. Another use of the present perfect tense is when talking about an action that continues up until now.

Examples:

I have met a lot of clients in the past week.
They haven’t seen each other for ages.
Have you heard from Mary yet?

3. Present perfect is used with time expression such as today, this morning, this year etc. when during the time of speaking, these periods are not yet finished.

Amelia has studied very diligently this semester.
I haven’t taken my medicine today.
Have you gone on holiday this year (yet)?

4. Present perfect is also used to say how many times something has happened.

Kim is taking a diving lesson. It’s her first one.
It’s the first time she has dove. (not dives)

Michael has lost his keys again.
This is not the first time this has happened. (not happens)

Frances is calling her clients again.
That’s the fourth time she has called them today. (not called)

Quitting UNESCO

B1 – Intermediate

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a special part of the United Nations (UN). Its mandate is to promote peace and security through the promotion of collaboration among its member nations.

On the first day of this new year, USA and Israel have pulled out its membership of UNESCO.

Read more about this news through the link below:

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1901/190104-unesco-2.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion on US and Israel quitting UNESCO?
2. What do you think are its consequences on these countries and UNESCO itself?
3. Talk about some UNESCO World Heritage Sites in your city/country.

Test 647

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Simple Present Tense (Advanced)

Click on this link for a review on Simple Present Tense form.

USAGE:

1. The simple present is used to talk about habits or routines, schedules, and facts.

Examples:

Habit or Routine:

The team trains every single day.
She visits her hometown on holidays.
They like their coffee cold.

Schedules:

He starts work at nine.
Banks open at 8:00 in the morning.
I go to see my dentist twice a year.

Facts or Generalizations:

It rains a lot in my country during spring.
Nurses take care of ailing patients.
The earth revolves around the sun.

2. Another use of the simple present tense is to express about future events, especially  those based on present facts, and when these facts are something fixed like a time-table, schedule, calendar.

Examples:

The delegation arrives at 10:00 tomorrow.
They have Chemistry class every Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The bar opens at 8:00 tonight.
Next Thursday at 2:00, there is a department meeting.
The group rehearsal commences in fifteen minutes.

Test 610

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