Category: Homework

‘The Customer Is Always Right’ Is Wrong

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We have heard the  slogan  “The Customer is always right”  several times and often, this attitude that the customer is always right negatively affects the company as it goes to great lengths to meet customers’ needs. But what if the customer isn’t always right? 

Read the article below and know the reasons this old adage isn’t always right.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/top-5-reasons-customer-service_b_5145636

Discussion Questions:

  1. What happens if the company adopts “the customer is always right” policy?
  2.  Do you agree that “The customer is always right” is wrong? Why or why not?
  3. What are the effects of this policy to the company and to the employees? Will the advantages outweigh the drawbacks?

Retain Employees

B2 – Upper Intermediate

You probably love your job and what you are doing but you reach a point in your life when you suddenly feel unhappy and unsatisfied with your work. Your boss would notice the change in your attitude and performance so he could  either just let you go or help you get back on track by providing interventions.

Let us read the full article below on how companies can retain employees.

https://www.thedailypositive.com/retain-employees/

Discussion Questions:

  1.  Have you ever felt demotivated to work? If yes, how did you cope with it?
  2.  Can you describe the working environment of your company and your relationship with your colleagues?
  3.  Do you think your working environment affects your work performance?
  4.  Do you have any similar experience?
  5.  Describe a good leader.

Chinese Buy Fresh Air

B1 – Intermediate

China is one of the many countries that suffer air pollution. To have a breath of fresh air, local citizens are buying bottled fresh air from Canada.

To know more about this, let us watch the video below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about buying bottled fresh air?
  2. If you lived in China, would you consider buying one?
  3. How is the environmental condition in your country?
  4. How can we reduce air pollution?
  5. What can large cities do to improve their air quality?

Niggles that Keep You Healthy

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Rhinitis, eczema, and migraine, to name a few, are some of the most annoying minor ailments one can experience. However, niggle no more as science has proven that they can actually protect us from more serious illnesses.

https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/health/trends/8-annoying-niggles-that-actually-keep-you-healthy-35534

Discussion Questions:

1. Which among these minor ailments do you experience, and how do you cope with them?

2. What other minor illnesses or allergies do you have?

3. How do you keep your health boosted?

Why We Need Mean Friends More

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Agreeably to our preference, the best kind of friend is someone who would always love us – the imperfect us, the confused us, and the wrong us. Moreover, study shows that the best kind of friends are actually our mean friends. Let’s find out how having one can benefit our life more.

Study shows mean friends are the best kind of friends

Discussion Questions:

1. Say something about your friends and your mean friends.
Do you agree with the study?

2. What kind of a friend are you? Tell me about you being a mean friend.

3. What do you think of the saying “Show me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are?”

4. What was the biggest challenge your friendship has ever faced?

5.How do you maintain a good relationship with your friends?

Secrets of Success

B2 – Upper Intermediate

What leads to success?  Richard St. John, a success expert who spent a lot of years researching about it, gives 8 principles to address this question.

Click on the link to find out:

https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success

Discussion Questions:

  1.  Name the secrets mentioned in the video.
  2.  How do you define success?
  3.  Can you think of any famous quotes about success or failure?

What Do You Buy When You’re Sad

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Retail therapy is the act of shopping and spending to improve one’s mood. Often seen in people during periods of depression or transition, it is normally a short-lived habit. Items purchased during periods of retail therapy are sometimes referred to as “comfort buys”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-171207

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you do to feel better when you are sad?

2. Do you believe in retail therapy or is it just an excuse to go binge shopping?

3. When is retail therapy unhealthy?

Can Facebook Lessen Corruption?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The emergence of the Internet has allowed people to communicate in faster and more efficient ways. Dissemination of opinions and self-expression have been pushed into even more new areas where everything can be exposed with the advent of social media, especially Facebook. For this reason, can this be a tool to hinder corruption?

https://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/social-media/facebook-corruption-social-media-internet-penetration

Discussion Questions:

1. Talk about corruption in your country. What are the government’s actions to fight corruption?

2. If you were to post about your thoughts on corruption on Facebook now, what would you say?

3. How else can Facebook and other social media make a positive impact?

Toxic People

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Has anyone stripped you of your happiness before? As the saying goes ‘Don’t let the silly little things steal your happiness’. Similarly, we should not let toxic people drag us down. Take note of these negative people and avoid interacting with them.

Read this article on different kinds of toxic people you could encounter on a rather regular basis.

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/8-types-of-toxic-people-you-should-always-avoid.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Share your experience about an interaction with a toxic person.

2. What could be best ways to deal with these eight types of toxic people?

3. Among these eight types of toxic people, which do you consider the most crippling?

Minimalism

B1 –  Intermediate

In an era when we can shop whenever and wherever,  why do some people choose not to?

Minimalism is a lifestyle where you just own what is necessary in order to focus on more important things, interesting isn’t?

Lets take a look on how Japanese people practice this lifestyle.

http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-japans-extremely-minimalist-homes-2016-6

Discussion Questions:

1. What is minimalism?

2. What do you think about minimalism?

3. Would you like to try living as a minimalist?

4. What are the pros and cons of being a minimalist?