Category: Homework

Stress Causes Graying Hair

B1 – Intermediate

It is said that our hair is our crowning glory. Sooner or later, that crown will start to gray and we face a decision whether to dye it or maintain that silver hair color.

Read the article below to know what causes our hair to turn gray and be able to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2001/200126-grey-hair-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree that stress is one of the main causes of going gray?
  2. Do you have gray hair? If so, are you worried about it? What are you going to do when all your hair turn gray?
  3. How do you keep your hair looking good and at its best?
  4. How do you deal with stress?

Best Country for Raising Kids

B1 – Intermediate

Most citizens are willing to pay high rates of taxes if health care, education, and other needs are taken care of. People in these countries see paying taxes as a quality of life investment. The U.S. News & World Report’s list of “The Best Countries for Raising Kids” in 2020 names Scandinavia as the best place in the world to raise children.

Read the article to know why and be able to answer the questions below.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2001/200118-raising-kids.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why was Scandinavia ranked as the best place in the world to raise children?
  2. What factors do you consider that would give the best life for the family especially, children in a certain country?
  3. How do you assess the condition of raising kids in your country?
  4. What do you think about the services, initiatives, and incentives that are being offered to families in your country?

The Lesson That Kobe Bryant’s Death Is Teaching Us

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Everybody was shocked upon hearing the news of the passing of Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players of all time last Sunday, January 26, 2020 along with 8 others including his 13-year-old daughter Gigi. It brought a shockwave throughout the world as his death is very untimely. He was only 41 and was heading to a basketball tournament when his chopper crashed in the hillside of Calabasas, California.

People who knew him and those who were a fan of his had one thing in common to relish upon remembering the legendary athlete – that he is an inspiration to this generation and the future ones. His death has a great impact on sports and the world.

https://blavity.com/the-lesson-that-kobe-bryants-death-is-teaching-us?category1=opinion

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to the death of Kobe Bryant?
  2. Why did his death shock the world?
  3. What made him legendary?
  4. What is the life lesson we learn from his untimely death?
  5. How would you define life and death?

Could You Give Up Booze for a Month?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Holidays mean fun and celebration and what is a celebration without alcohol? Alcohol drinking has been associated with festivities and people tend to have one too many drinks during these occasions because they are allowed to.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript from the link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200116

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it called a ‘dry January’ according to the podcast?

2. Do you like drinking alcohol? Are you a regular drinker or a social drinker?

3. What are the merits and downsides of drinking alcohol?

4. What is a ‘hangover’? Have you experienced it in the past?

5. What is ‘binge-drinking’? How can it be prevented?

The Key to Effective Business Coaching

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Coaching and developing talents is one skill that has become imperative for managers to have. Managers and businesses alike recognize the benefits of having managers that are equipped with this skill.

Read this article and know the keys to effective coaching.

https://www.forbes.com/2010/04/28/coaching-talent-development-leadership-managing-ccl.html#66efc69338e0

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the purpose of coaching?
  2. Talk about all 5 categories mentioned in the article. Share your thoughts for each point.
  3. How else can a manager implement effective coaching?
  4. What’s the coaching process like in your company? What’s good about them? How can they be improved?
  5. What is your manager like?

Cyber Security for the Rich and Famous

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Smartphones are used a little too much these days – from dating to traffic updates, accessing bank accounts, among others. However, the problem is that there is no perfect control against cyber attacks even rich and high-profile individuals are vulnerable.

Let’s read more about cybersecurity through this article:

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/25/tech/bezos-amazon-cybersecurity/index.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is cyber security important?

2. Do you turn on automatic updates on your smartphones?

3. How often do you change your passwords? How do you make sure your passwords are protected?

4. What are the risks associated with using public wi-fi?

5. Give some tips for protecting yourself against identity theft.

China Battles Coronavirus

B1- Intermediate

China is ramping up for containment measures as other countries are preparing for a major outbreak that has killed 56 people and infected at least 1,975 more.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2001/200124-coronavirus-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What were some of the first things you knew about Coronavirus? What information do you know about it now?
  2. What was your reaction to this news when you first heard about it then?
  3. How prepared was your country during the Coronavirus pandemic? How ready is it now for another pandemic?
  4. What do you think your government could do better if another pandemic were to happen?

Japanese City Asks Tourists to Stop ‘Sand Graffiti’

B1 – Intermediate

City officials of Tottori are asking tourists to avoid writing messages and pictures in the sand of its giant sand dunes. More than 3,300 cases of ‘sand graffiti’ happened at this tourist spot in the last 10 years.

Read the article below to know more about this new rule.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1905/190525-tottori-sand-dunes-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the city’s new rule to prohibit graffitis on sand dunes?
  2. Share your opinion on this: Graffiti damages the dunes. It ruins the pleasure people get in looking at them.
  3. What do you think of the tourists’ actions?
  4. What rules should tourists follow when they are visiting National reserves such as the Tottori Sand Dunes?
  5. Would you be interested to visit the Tottori Sand Dunes? Why or why not?

Why Do Students Drop Out of School?

B1 – Intermediate

Nowadays, a lot of American high school students have been dropping out.

Let’s see what the usual reasons for this are and some possible outcomes when students drop out of high school on the link below.

https://www.english-online.at/education/school-dropouts/school-dropouts.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the reasons students drop out of school?
  2. How can dropping out of high school affect young people’s future?
  3. How do you think can we improve our education system so students wouldn’t choose to stop studying?
  4. Talk about someone you know who is a dropout. Did this person become successful or not?
  5. What would you say to a high school student who wants to stop their studies?

We May Be Able to Learn Vocabulary While Sleeping

B1 – Intermediate

Good news to everyone who wants to expand their vocabulary! A new study in Switzerland has shown that we can learn new vocabulary while sleeping. It is also possible to learn a foreign language this way.

Check out this article below for more information.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1902/190206-learning-vocabulary.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think that this is effective?
  2. Would you like to try it?
  3. How do you expand your vocabulary?
  4. What other languages would you like to learn?
  5. What other things would you like to learn while you sleep?