Category: Homework

Government-Run Healthcare

C1 – Advanced

Access to health care may vary across nations, communities and individuals. It is generally influenced by social and economic situations as well as health policies. Healthcare systems are established with the primary goal of meeting the health needs of targeted populations. Having an efficient health care system contributes to the country’s economy and development.

But, what really are the benefits and possible drawbacks of a government-run healthcare?

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about the health care system in your country?
2. What are the health care problems in your country?
3. Is your country’s health care system in need of reform?
4. Which is better, private or public health care?

Packageless Beauty Products

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Humanity has created 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic waste and only 9% of that has been recycled. Cosmetic company LUSH recognized how much of that waste comes from packaging within the cosmetic industry and vowed to make a change. The company now features a wide variety of products that come without packaging—also known by their terms as “naked. Some of these products include shampoo bars and shower gels.

Watch the video and be able to discuss the questions that follow:

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of packageless beauty products?
  2. With the arrival of zero waste products, what will happen to label information and brand communication of the products?
  3. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of using “naked” products?

To Pull the Wool Over Someone’s Eyes

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In the 17th century, people used to put on these detailed wigs that looked woolly. Put them on the wrong way and that would obscure the person’s vision hence the inability to see if a trick is being played on them.

Listen to the audio below and find out how pulling one’s woolly hat over someone’s eyes explains deception and trickery.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak/ep-190318

Discussion Questions:

1. What does ‘to pull the wool over someone’s eyes’ mean?

2. Has anyone pulled the wool over your eyes?

3. How do feel when you find out you have been tricked into doing something?

4. Do you blame yourself for falling victim to deception/trickery?

 

 

Keep a Lid On It

B1 – Intermediate

Has anyone always given you food that you don’t honestly like but you didn’t want to offend that person so you keep receiving it and saying it is ‘special’ when it is just not good. This is what happened to Feifei. Neil gave her an advice to ‘keep a lid on it’. What might this expression mean?

Listen to the audio and find out what Neil meant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the-english-we-speak/ep-190325

Discussion Questions:

1. What does ‘keep a lid on it’ mean? Does it have other meanings?

2. Talk about a situation wherein you had to keep something under control. How did you prevent that situation from getting worse?

3. Talk about a time you had to keep a secret.

 

Best Street Food

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Let’s try to imagine someone wanted to visit your country one day and asks if you could recommend the best street foods you have. Foods that perhaps best represent your country’s people and culture.

Watch the video below to find out the best street food from different countries.

 

Discussion Questions:

1. Where would you recommend them to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
2. What Spanish street foods would suggest them to eat?
3. What do you wish they learn and appreciate about your country?
4. Have you traveled before and tried popular but for you, somehow unfamiliar food? If, so please share your experience.

Spanish Taxman Investigates Ronaldo Revelations

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Some high-profile personalities have been implicated in tax-dodging activities after documents gathered by German weekly Der Spiegel were leaked. Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, is one of them.

Read the article to know more about this tax controversy involving high-profile footballers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40260517

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your thoughts on this news?

2. What can be done in order to prevent high-profile personalities from committing tax fraud?

3. What changes would you like to see in your country’s tax system?

Business Suits Worn Less

B1 – Intermediate

The choice for what to wear to work is between suit or casual. Every company has a standard dress code for their office workers. As the time progressed, more professionals are seen wearing business clothes less and less. Nowadays, more companies allow their workers to dress more casually. This is to make their staff feel more relaxed and focused on their jobs.

Read the article about how business suits are worn less in offices.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1903/190322-business-suit-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “dress code” mean? “The latest international company to relax its dress code is Goldman Sachs.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. Define “casual“. “Some people think casual dress is not good.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. Define “sloppy“. “He added that if people dress sloppily, people will think the brand is sloppy.” Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of business clothes and dress codes at work?
  2. Do people in business suits look better and more professional? Explain.
  3. Is it good or bad to dress casually at work? Explain.
  4. What kind of clothes do you wear to work?
  5. Would you be able to work harder in casual clothes at work? Explain.

Apple’s New Apple TV+

B2- Upper Intermediate

Apple is introducing Apple TV+ . It will be streaming original content videos similar to biggest and successful streaming companies like Netflix and Amazon. Many people subscribe to these streaming services and Apple has predicted that it will gain a huge  number of subscribers in the future as well.

Read the article:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/26/tech/apple-streaming/index.html

 

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about Apple’s  TV + ? Will the price be affordable for consumers?

2. Apple has succeeded at selling subscriptions, apps, movies and other services to iPhone customers, do you think this new service will be successful too?

3. Would you pay for another streaming company? Why or why not?

4. What kinds of streaming video contents do you think will be appealing to the public?

 

School Children Strike for Climate

B1 – Intermediate

Some school children are going on strikes because they are unhappy. They think their countries are not doing so much about the problems with climate change.

Read more about student activism below:

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1902/190226-school-strike-for-climate-1.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your thoughts on students going on strikes?
2. “Australia’s leader called for more learning in schools and less activism.” What is your opinion on this?
3. Have you ever joined a strike or protest? What were you fighting for?

Satellites for Worldwide Internet

B1 – Intermediate

A company has launched satellites to make Internet accessible in more places in the world. This can change many people’s lives. However, not everyone is happy about this news.

Read on this news for more information on this satellite project.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1903/190304-worldwide-internet-4.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about this news?
2. Why are some countries not happy with this?
3. Why is it necessary to be connected to the internet?
4. What do you use the internet for?
5. Should everyone be connected to the internet? Why or why not?