Category: Homework

Fashion Faux Pas

B1 – Intermediate

Even the biggest and most successful brands make mistakes. They do things or create products that offend people. The Spanish clothing retailer Zara has been in the middle of such controversy recently. They have produced kids’ shirts with design that looks a lot like the uniform Jewish prisoners wore in Nazi concentration camps.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about Zara’s and some other fashion brands’ faux pas.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/fashion-faux-pas-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to Zara’s faux pas?
  2. What was your reaction to the other brands like HM, Gucci, and Adidas’ faux pas?
  3. Why do you think these mistakes happen? How could companies let such thing occur?
  4. Do you think it is for marketing so people would talk about their brands? Share your opinion.
  5. Talk about other companies/brands that you know committed a faux pas.

Australia’s Aboriginal Flag

B1 – Intermediate

Every country has its own national flag. A flag is not just an ordinary piece of fabric but a symbol of freedom, dignity, and one’s country.

Read the lesson on Australia’s Aboriginal flag below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2201/220127-aboriginal-flag-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why are national flags important?
  2. Should everyone have a flag of their country in their house? Explain.
  3. Talk about your national flag. What do you know about the history of your country’s flag?
  4. Can people freely display and use flags to celebrate certain cultures or communities? Explain your opinion.
  5. Have there ever been any controversies revolving a flag/flags in your country? Talk about it.

Tonga Cleans Up After Tsunami and Volcanic Eruption

B1 – Intermediate

Tonga is known as the “Friendly Island” because of the welcoming attitude and hospitality locals show their tourists. Most of the islands are classified as high islands because they have been raised above sea level by repeated volcanic activity. Other islands were formed by more explosive volcanoes.

Let’s read the article below to know more about Tonga’s efforts in cleaning up after the undersea volcano eruption.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2201/220120-tonga-tsunami-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How long do you think it will take Tonga to recover?
  2. What can you do to help the people of Tonga?
  3. What would life be like with no Internet in a country?
  4. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? How would you cope if a natural disaster hit your town?
  5. Talk about helping in cleaning up a city or a place after a disaster.

Boredom and Sadistic Behavior

B2 – Upper Intermediate

What brings about sadism? A study made by a team of researchers at Aarhus University has found evidence that people who are bored behave more sadistically to reduce the effects of being indifferent.

Read the article below about how boredom leads to setting off sadistic behavior and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-01-boredom-factor-sadistic-behavior.html#:~:text=A%20team%20of%20researchers%20at,in%20setting%20off%20sadistic%20behavior.&text=A%20closer%20look%20showed%20that,others%20more%20often%20when%20bored.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on the results of this study?
  2. What do you think of trolling behavior of people online because they are bored?
  3. What bores you? How does boredom make you feel? What do you do when you get bored?
  4. What was the strangest thing you did out of boredom?
  5. How would you help someone who says they are bored?

Recycling and Reusing COVID Tests and Masks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The use of face masks is the most important weapon that we have against the COVID-19 virus. Even before the pandemic, wearing of face masks was already customary in some parts of Asia such as China, Japan, and Korea. People wear it to protect themselves from illness, allergies, pollution, and more.

While beneficial, it generates millions tons of plastic wastes and it is causing a lot of environmental problems. So people came up with some recycling initiatives to reduce COVID plastic wastes.

Let’s read the article below to find out more about these recycling initiatives.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/01/28/can-covid-tests-and-masks-be-recycled-and-reused-these-people-have-found-a-way

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on COVID tests and masks being recycled and reused? Do you think it is safe to do this?
  2. How do you safely dispose your used masks and test kits?
  3. Do you agree that “hygiene theatre” should be stopped? Is it really effective in providing additional protection against the spread of Covid-19?
  4. Are there recycling points in your city/country? If not, do you think you should have one?
  5. What are other ways to manage all our pandemic wastes?

What is the Metaverse?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Recently, a brand new concept in technology has emerged known as the “Metaverse”. Many believe it to be the next big thing in technology and business.

But what exactly is the “Metaverse”?

To learn more about it, watch this video.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, will the “Metaverse” be the next big trend that a lot people would invest in? Why or why not?
  2. What do you think makes Metaverse interesting?
  3. What concerns could we have over it?
  4. Is Facebook making a good decision by switching from a social media platform to a “Metaverse”? Explain your stance.
  5. Do you believe that socializing with people in these “Metaverses” is better than socializing in real life? Share your thoughts on this.

Investors Buy Up Metaverse Real Estate

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The metaverse describes a vision of a connected 3D virtual world where real and digital worlds are integrated using technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. It is now possible to buy and trade things in the metaverse like plots of land or even virtual houses.

Watch the video to know what owning a virtual land has to offer.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think investors are paying real money to buy virtual lands?
  2. Would you invest in the Metaverse real estate? Why/why not?
  3. Do you think investors are playing a risky game and winning in cryptocurrency? Elaborate.

When Is a Pandemic Over?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There’s no clear-cut definition for when a pandemic starts and ends, but according to Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, “It’s somewhat a subjective judgment because it’s not just about the number of cases. It’s about the severity and it’s about the impact”.

Watch the video to know how the world decides when the pandemic is over.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How have people and societies lived through this current pandemic?
  2. With so much misinformation out there, how can we know what to believe during a pandemic?
  3. When do you think the pandemic will be over?
  4. What are your thoughts on the big possibility of another pandemic?
  5. What are you most looking forward to when the pandemic ends?
  6. What is your unique experience during the pandemic?

Tips for Giving a Great Presentation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Business presentations are one of the most vital parts of closing in business deals. They’re conducted to present and express the idea of your products and/or services.

Usually, visual materials are being used to convey the important information to the prospective clients or buyers.

Here are some tips on how to have a great Business Presentation

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you experienced to do a Business Presentation? If yes, what’s the product/service you present?
  2. What are the tips to have a great Business Presentation according to the video?
  3. Can you give other tips?
  4. Why is it important to know you audience first?
  5. Can you explain the importance of visuals in business presentation?

Can Stereotypes Ever Be Good?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Stereotypes often have negative connotations attached to them for good reason. Because of stereotypes, certain people and groups are limited in their actions and opportunities and are pre-judged before they can even prove themselves or disprove others.

Nowadays, we are all challenged to let go of stereotypes. Even if some sound positive, stereotypes can still impact groups in a negative way.

Watch the video below on how stereotypes affect the lives of certain groups.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why do stereotypes exist?
2. Who are the most stereotyped communities? Why?
3. What are some stereotypes that you have heard of or encountered?
4. Have you ever had any stereotypes against a certain group or have you experienced being stereotyped? Explain.
5. How can stereotypes be challenged and ended?