Category: Homework

Wife Learns Husband Is a Woman

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There is an Indonesian woman who married a man that she met through a dating app. Ten months into the marriage, she discovered that her ‘husband’ is actually a woman even though they have been intimate several times. The ‘husband’ also claimed that they were a doctor but that was also a lie. Now, the wife is suing her ‘husband’ in court for falsifying their qualifications as a doctor but not about their gender.

Let’s read the article below to learn more about the wife who found out that her ‘husband’ is a woman.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/wife-22-learns-husband-woman-10-months-marriage-intimate/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your initial reaction to this story?
  2. Do you think that what the ‘husband’ did should be punished?
  3. What would you do if your were in the wife’s situation?
  4. What was the biggest lie you’ve told in your life?
  5. What was the biggest lie ever told to you and by who? How did this change things between you and this person/these people?
  6. What are the common reasons married couples break up?

Birthdays

B1 – Intermediate

Our birthday is a very important day and it is a day that makes us feel special. There are many ways to celebrate your birthday. Some throw big parties and open gifts after their big birthday celebrations. How do you celebrate your birthday?

Let’s listen to the audio and read the transcript about birthdays below.

https://listenaminute.com/b/birthdays.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important are birthdays to you and why?
  2. How do you prefer to celebrate your own birthday?
  3. How do people usually celebrate birthdays in your country? What other birthday traditions are common in your country?
  4. Have you ever had a bad birthday? If so, what happened?
  5. Do you usually organize your own birthday party? Or do you prefer to have someone else organize it for you? Explain.
  6. Do you worry about getting older or does ageing not really bother you? Share your thoughts.

Japan Opens to Foreign Tourists

B1 – Intermediate

Japan is one of the world’s most visited country. It is well-known for it’s pop culture and advance technologies.

However, like most countries, they had to close their borders due to the pandemic. After almost two years, they are finally opening their borders up to foreign tourists again.

Let’s read the article below to know more about Japan’s reopening for tourism.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2205/220530-japan-tourism-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is it better to travel domestically rather than internationally at the moment? Explain.
  2. What are the benefits of international tourism? Explain.
  3. Was Japan right to close to tourists for two years? Why or why not?
  4. Is it time for countries to reopen and relax travel restrictions now? Explain.
  5. Is it better to travel as part of a package tour or as a solo traveler? Explain.
  6. How was your country during the Covid pandemic?
  7. What places in Japan would you really like to visit and why?
  8. Why should foreign tourists visit your country?

Footballer Unhurt After Gunfight during Mugging

B1 – Intermediate

Gratitude is the best mantra to be happy. It refers to the feeling and attitude of appreciation and thankfulness we receive in life, and life is exciting and full of surprises.

Brazilian football player Emerson Royal has his luck star to thank. He was saved from imminent danger by a police officer.

Let’s read the article below to know more about what happened to this famous footballer.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2206/220606-angel-police-officer-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the good and bad things about being a police officer?
  2. Have you ever been eternally grateful to anyone? What did they do to or for you?
  3. Should soccer players get more security especially when they go out in public? Why/why not?
  4. Should the police officer get an award for saving the football player? Why or why not?
  5. What would you do if you were attacked?
  6. How dangerous is your city at night?

Getting Over a Lingering Grudge

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Who hasn’t been wounded by someone else’s gestures or words? Maybe you were routinely reprimanded by your family at a young age, a teammate hijacked a project, or partner had been unfaithful to you. Perhaps you’ve been through a horrific event, as well as being emotionally and psychologically mistreated by close relatives. And yes, these experiences do leave scars.

While vengeance may feel more satisfying, forgiving someone who has wronged us is undoubtedly a great advantage to us. But can we easuly do so? How do we cultivate forgiving? Is it possible to forgive and forget?

To find out more on how you can ever get over lingering grudges, let’s take a moment to read the full article.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211214-can-you-ever-get-over-a-lingering-grudge

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you experienced holding a grudge against someone for a long time? What was the situation? How did you feel? How did you get over it?
  2. How do you deal with someone who is constantly rubbing you up the wrong way?
  3. What are the consequences of holding grudges?
  4. Is forgiveness a basic requirement for reconciliation? Explain.
  5. Can you think of some techniques to enhance the ability to forgive?
  6. “Forcing forgiveness isn’t the answer.” What are your thoughts on this?

Showing Stress Can Make People More Likeable

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It’s tempting to mask your stress, but it won’t do you or anyone else any favor. Countless internal physiological changes occur in our bodies’ response to stress. These activations aren’t merely stress-related side effects. They also serve a purpose which help the body to be equipped for its functions.

Our gestures might reveal our stress levels and when communicated properly, these can be extremely beneficial not only to us but also to the individuals around us.

To find out more about the downsides of bottled-up stress, let’s take a moment to read the full article.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220610-why-showing-stress-can-make-people-more-likeable

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree that “exhibiting signs of anxiety may make people respond better to you”? Explain your stand.
  2. What are reasons people bottle up their stress?
  3. Are you able to manage your stress on your own or do you require assistance? Explain.
  4. Who are the people you can discuss your stress with and why them? How are they able to help you cope with stress?
  5. How can one tell whether they are suppressing stress?
  6. What causes an individual to emotionally shut down?

Why Do Humans Cry?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

All animals cry just like humans so that they can clean their eyes tor lubricate their eyes, but only Humans cry emotionally, why is this?

Babies crying makes sense because they can’t speak, so they have to find another way to show emotions and this carries on to adulthood, and during this time, people also want to comfort us, like when we used to cry as a baby.

There are a few reasons this can happen, in order to find out these reasons, let us watch this video:

Discussion Questions:

  1. When you see another person cry, how do you feel about it/them?
  2. What are other reasons we cry?
  3. In your opinion, is emotional crying beneficial to humans? Explain why or why not.
  4. Which moments make you cry your heart out?

Night Shift Work

Due to the boom of 24-hour services, there has been a high demand for night shift work. This allows businesses to deliver their services uninterrupted.

Some people adapt well to working late. However, this work setup can be difficult for many. It affects a person’s health because of the unusual working hours.

Listen to the audio and the transcript at the link for more information on night shift work.

https://www.esleschool.com/night-shift-work/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the good and bad things about working at night? What are some bad effects of night work on our health?
  2. Why do people work at night?
  3. What time of the day are you most productive? Why do you think that is?
  4. Do you like 24-hour supermarkets or mini grocers? Why or why not?
  5. How many hours of sleep do you need each night? Do you like taking naps in the afternoon?
  6. What was the longest time where you haven’t had any sleep? How was the experience?
  7. How do you think it would be like for you if you worked the nights?

Find Fresh Air on Google Maps

B1 – Intermediate

Google Maps is a mapping platform with detailed geographical information. This is just the primary function of this platform but there actually more and Google Maps is continuously upgrading and adding new and better features.

Read the article about Google Maps’ new features.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2206/220613-google-maps-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the new Google Maps features and what do you think about them? 
  2. Do you think the new features are going to be useful for you? Why or why not?
  3. How much and what do you use Google Maps for? What do you like and dislike about this platform?
  4. What other features do you want Google Maps to have?
  5. Do you use mapping or GPS platforms/apps a lot? Why or why not?

Tax on Farm Animal Burps

B1 – Intermediate

Governments around the world are continuously thinking of ways to address the problems with climate change. It may sound unbelievable and ridiculous but yes, the New Zealand government has revealed its plans to put taxes on some farm animals’ burps. 

Confused yet? Read the article and find out why New Zealand plans to tax cow and sheep burps.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2206/220616-cow-burps-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is NZ government planning to tax animals’ burps?
  2. What do you think of this measure?
  3. Did you know farming makes up 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gasses? If not, what was your reaction to this?
  4. What is your government doing to address the problems with climate change?
  5. What problems do farmers have in your country?