Category: Homework

Hong Kong’s Octopus Card

B1 – Intermediate

The Octopus card is a smart card used for making electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. It is mostly used in paying for rides on the MTR, buses, minibusses, ferries, trams, and on a few taxis with Octopus readers.

Read more about the Octopus Card in this article below.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/business-economy/octopus-card-hongkong.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the Octopus card?
  2. How would you differentiate the transport card in your country from the Octopus card?
  3. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this payment system?
  4. In your opinion, what is the best mode of payment?

Men Get Paid More on eBay

B1 – Intermediate

A study shows that women make less money than men when selling the same products on eBay. Those who conducted the study were no longer surprised by gender discrimination but were surprised at how much the difference between men and women was.

Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/business-economy/men-get-paid-more-on-ebay.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think are the reasons men are paid more on eBay?
  2. What is your opinion about how women make less money when selling the same products as men on eBay?
  3. Share your thoughts on this, “Women have a better reputation as sellers than men on eBay.”.
  4. Is the gender of the seller important to you when you are shopping online?
  5. What can eBay do to prevent this kind of discrimination from happening on their website?

Why We Say “OK”

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We say ‘OK’ to express agreement, acceptance, understanding and many other positive responses. It is interesting to know that the most widely used word in the English language actually started as an editorial joke.

Let’s watch the video and find out more about the origin of ‘OK’.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the origin of the abbreviation ‘OK’?
  2. How did the past American re-electionist president use it to his advantage?
  3. How did the invention of telegraph transformed the word ‘OK’ from a slang to a formal word?
  4. What expression do you often use to express agreement?
  5. What are your favorite Spanish and English words and why?

Sugar Overdose

B1 – Intermediate

Sugar has remained to be a very common ingredient in our food. It is added to practically everything such as bread, tea, juice, meat, and even coffee. Nowadays, people are warned to be careful with how much sugar they consume as it can negatively affect one’s health.

Read the article and be able to answer the discussion questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1912/191207-sugar-overdose-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your opinion or reaction that many cafes add extra sugar and syrup to drinks. 
  2. What are your thoughts on this, “Some drinks had as much as 23 spoons of sugar.“?
  3. What is your reaction to this, “The unhealthiest drink was a Starbucks hot chocolate that had 93.7g of sugar and 758 calories.“? Should Starbucks change their coffee recipe and make it with less sugar?
  4. Do you like any sugary drinks in particular? Why do you like this drink?

Children and Electronics

B1 – Intermediate

Internet addiction has been an issue for too long. Using electronics can prevent children from playing sports, studying their lessons, or socializing with others. Parents, on the other hand, still play the biggest role in guiding kids in using devices. However, a recent study shows that children are using electronics more than ever. What are we doing wrong?

Please read the article below and be ready to share your opinions.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/children-and-electronics-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can parents strongly make rules for using devices at home?
  2. How else do electronic devices create a negative impact on children and society?
  3. Can you think of a more rational solution to resolve children’s addiction to using electronic devices?

Museumgoers and Concertgoers Could Live Longer

B1 – Intermediate

Museum and concert enthusiasts now have more reasons to stick to their interests. A research shows that visiting museums and watching live concerts could help people live longer.

Please read the article below and be ready to share your opinions.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1912/191223-live-concerts.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Tell me about your experiences going to museums and concerts. Which do you prefer doing between the two?
  2. What other activities do you think could help improve our mental health and could help us live longer lives?
  3. Why do you think some people do not fancy watching concerts or visiting museums?
  4. What things are you doing so you could live longer?

Teenager Sells Bathwater

B1 – Intermediate

An Instagram cosplay model is selling her bath water for $30 per bottle. Though some people think it’s gross, others praised her for her business skills.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1907/190708-bath-water-0.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about her products?
  2. Would you buy something from someone famous or someone you idolize?
  3. Talk about the time you have bought something because you saw someone famous use it.
  4. Have you tried selling things online? Talk about your experience.
  5. What are the effects of the internet on business?

Modern Humans Came from Botswana

B1 – Intermediate

New research affirms that the origin of modern humans is Botswana. The study is published in the journal ‘Nature’. Researchers in the study used DNA to find out where modern humans came from.

Read the article to find out more.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1911/191101-homeland-0.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this discovery?
  2. How far back do you know about your family tree? Talk a little bit about your family history.
  3. Talk about the most interesting ancestor you have in your family.
  4. Where do you think most of the people in your country come from? Why do you think they came from there?

Ex-Nissan CEO Escapes Japan

B1 – Intermediate

Japan needs to make its immigration stricter after Nissan ex-CEO Carlos escaped the country.

Read more about this news and be ready to talk about it.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2001/200108-carlos-ghosn-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. What can you say about Ghosn’s great escape?
  3. Talk about other criminals who were able to flee your country.

Population Slowdown and Spain’s Economy

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A great number of Spanish leaving Spain, not a very vigorous growth in the number of immigrants and the imbalance between births and deaths in the country are some of the issues Spain is confronted with.

Read the article to find out more about this issue and how it can potentially be resolved.

https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/12/23/inenglish/1577115169_134179.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about the population slowdown in Spain and how it affects the economy.
  2. Explain how the population helps the economy.
  3. What are the solutions to this problem?