Category: Homework

Doctors Operate Without Electricity

B1 – Intermediate

In a world powered by electricity, imagine doctors performing surgeries without it. In certain corners of the globe, and in unexpected moments, medical professionals find themselves in situations where the lights go out, but they need to proceed with the operation.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about doctors operating without electricity.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/doctors-operate-without-electricity-level-3/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the word “rain down on someone/something” mean, “Russian missiles rained down on the Ukrainian capital city on Wednesday when the Kyiv Heart Institute unexpectedly lost light, power, and water.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “jump into action” mean, “Hospital staff jumped into action and started a backup generator to keep the support system running.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “blackout” mean? “The blackout happened amid heavy Russian bombardment in Ukraine that cut electricity and water across the capital and other parts of the country.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Question:

  1. How did the hospital workers respond to the interruption in electricity?
  2. What challenges do you think the doctors faced when operating without electricity?
  3. Why do you think the doctors decided not to wait for the electricity to be restored?
  4. Have you ever experienced a situation where there was a power outage? How did people around you respond?
  5. How important do you think electricity is for hospitals and medical procedures?
  6. How could the lack of electricity and water affect the daily lives of people in the city?

Afghan Refugees Need Help

B1 – Intermediate

In the face of adversity, Afghan refugees need assistance. Fleeing conflict and instability, they seek refuge and support to rebuild their lives. This is a call to action, emphasizing the importance of global solidarity and humanitarian aid for those facing displacement and uncertainty.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about on Afghans needing help.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/afghan-refugees-need-help-level-2/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the word “expel” mean? “Approaching winter brings colder days and this is a serious problem for Afghan refugees whom Pakistan expels.” Use the word in a sentence.
  2. What does “psychosocial support” mean? “These people need psychosocial support.” Use this term in a sentence.
  3. What does the phrase “make a fresh start“ mean? “Without help, they can’t make a fresh start.” Use this idiom in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is it to provide assistance to Afghan refugees?
  2. Why is psychosocial support important for these refugees?
  3. How might not having a place to stay as soon as they arrive impact the safety and well-being of the refugees?
  4. What are other ways to help refugees?
  5. What does your government do to help refugees?

Lockdown Drills for School Shootings

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Drills are conducted for us to be prepared for unforeseen events such as natural disasters or school shootings, which we have unfortunately seen happening in the US.

Now, schools are conducting lockdown drills for children to know exactly what they need to do when such unprecedented event happens.

However, some of these drills are so realistic that they trigger unpleasant reactions from trauma.

To learn more about the lockdown exercise, watch the video below.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase “out of sight” mean? “Lock down. Locks. Lights. Out of sight. This is a drill.” Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of “one wrong move“? “If we do just one wrong move then we can be like goners.” Kindly create you own sentence.
  3. What does “siege” mean? “Although there is evidence hiding behind a locked door saves lives, it is very unlikely a child would be involved in a Columbine style siege.” Please make your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think lockdown drills at schools are a good idea? Explain.
  2. What are the pros and cons of these lockdown drills?
  3. How do drills prepare you and your family/community for an unprecedented event?
  4. Talk about the different drills conducted in your school or community.
  5. What are some necessary drills that should be run in your country? What significance will it bring to your community?

Airports on High Alert after Bomb Warning

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There’s no denying that practically everyone aspires to travel as much as possible.

An airport bomb threat is a grave concern that poses a significant risk to the safety and security of air travel. With the increasing number of terrorist activities around the world, airports have become prime targets for such threats. The consequences of an airport bomb threat are far-reaching, not only causing panic and chaos among passengers, but also disrupting the entire aviation industry.

Read the article to see how airport security procedures are impacted by bomb threats.

https://www.voanews.com/a/philippine-airports-on-high-alert-after-anonymous-bomb-warning-/7299417.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of the idiom “to beef up”? “On Friday the aviation regulator released to media a Wednesday memo of the order given to airport security managers to beef up security, thoroughly inspect baggage and conduct round-the-clock surveillance after receiving the email threat.” Give 2 similar expressions and use “to beef up” in a sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of the idiom  “round-the-clock”? “On Friday the aviation regulator released to media a Wednesday memo of the order given to airport security managers to beef up security, thoroughly inspect baggage and conduct round-the-clock surveillance after receiving the email threat.”  Give 2 similar expressions and use “round-the-clock” in a sentence.
  3. What does “flag carrier” mean in aviation, “A source at Philippines Airlines, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to media, said the flag carrier was operating “business as usual.“? Make a sentence using this phrase.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What happened after the airports received a bomb threat?
    2. If you are an avid traveler yourself, how does this news make you feel?
    3. When you are at an airport, do you always feel safe? Why or Why not?
    4. How do airports in your country handle safety and security?
    5. Talk about any untoward incident you’ve encountered while at an airport..

    The End of the Mediterranean Beach Holiday

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    The beach is one of the most visited places during the holidays. A summer getaway seems incomplete without taking a trip to the coast.

    As the years pass, the climate has been noticeably getting worse. That said, staying under the sun may be more harmful to us as heat waves have been recurring. Hence, beach travels to the Mediterranean might come to an end.

    Read the article to learn more about the possible end of the Mediterranean beach holiday.

    https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231016-is-this-the-end-of-the-mediterranean-beach-holiday

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does “tighten one’s belt” mean? “Part of this could be down to consumers tightening their belts, with the ETC finding that nearly a quarter of respondents expressed concern about the rise of travel costs.” Use this in a sentence.
    2. Define “driven by something“. “We believe it’s partly driven by the cooler climate, which makes walking and cycling delightful rather than a sweat.” Make a sentence with this phrase.
    3. What does “fare” mean in this context? “Other regions fare better: the same climate scenario would see a 16% annual rise in tourism to west Wales, for example.” Give two synonyms and make a sentence with this word.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. How do you feel about the potential decline of the Mediterranean beach holiday and what impact might it have on your future travel plans?
    2. In what ways might over-tourism be contributing to the decline of the Mediterranean beach holiday experience?
    3. What measures can be taken to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the Mediterranean beach holiday industry?
    4. What factors do you consider when choosing a beach holiday destination? Are environmental concerns a priority for you?
    5. Have you ever been on a Mediterranean beach holiday? If so, which destination did you visit and how was your experience?

    Mushrooms: Medicine or Myth

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Though they are neither plant nor animal, mushrooms never fail to fascinate and strike with wonder.

    Aside from being a great ingredient for cooking, mushrooms have also long been considered best for human health. Perhaps the key factor in the medicinal mushroom industry’s boom in the recent years.

    Listen to this audio and read the transcript about the benefits of mushrooms as medicine.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2023/ep-231012

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. Explain what ”have a moment” means. “I think these mushrooms are very much having a moment right now, they’re kind of labelled as ‘super brain drugs’, so things are gonna potentially help with lessening anxiety, improving potentially depression.” Give 2 similar expressions and use this idiom in a sentence.
    2. What does the word “overblown” mean? “Dr. Leeming thinks some of the claims made about mushrooms are overblown.” Give 2 similar expressions and use this word in a sentence.
    3. What does “a fair amount” mean, “Lots of people absolutely want there to be scientific proof for health claims on food and drink because there still is a fair amount of scepticism, distrust, and general confusion around functionality.”? Give 2 similar expressions and use this phrase in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What might be the reasons mushrooms are having a moment right now?
    2. Are medicinal mushrooms becoming more and more common in your country too? Why do you think this is the case?
    3. Cite some benefits of medicinal mushrooms.
    4. What are your thoughts on the health claims on mushrooms?
    5. Would you give medicinal mushrooms a go? Why or why not?
    6. Should ancient knowledge about medicinal plants be kept alive? Explain your stance.
    7. Share your thoughts on this, “Some trust this [ancient knowledge about medicinal plants] wisdom more than modern medicine.”.

    What Multitasking Does to Your Brain

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Ever wondered what happens to your brain when you’re multitasking? It turns out, our brains are more like jugglers than seamless multitasking machines.

    In this brief exploration, we’ll uncover the effects of multitasking on our cognitive functions and delve into why it might not be the brain’s favorite act.

    Watch the video to learn more and be able to answer the questions that follow.

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does the idiom “under one’s nose” mean, “Being able to filter out irrelevant detail is an amazingly useful tool, but it means we can miss things that are right under our noses.” Write a sentence using this expression.
    2. What does “to miss something” mean? “When attention is overloaded, we miss things, and the result is nearly always that we perform tasks less well than we would doing them one at a time.” Use the phrase in a sentence.
    3. What does the expression “to make it through to something” mean, “Not everything will make it through to conscious awareness.” Use the phrase in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. Do you believe that multitasking enhances or hinders your overall productivity and efficiency? Explain.
    2. Do you think our brains are naturally wired to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, or is it a skill that can be developed over time? Share your insights.
    3. How would you weigh the importance of focus and concentration against the allure of multitasking in a fast-paced work environment?
    4. In your experience, do you find that multitasking helps or hampers your ability to retain information and learn effectively?
    5. What consequences do the pressure to multitask in today’s society has long-term?

    Artificial Intelligence to Become Sentient

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    In 2022, software engineer Blake Lemoine was fired from Google after blowing the whistle on the firm’s artificially intelligent chatbot “LaMDA”. He thought the AI ‘has come to life’. 

    But Google was quick to respond saying Lemoine’s claims that the advanced AI chatbot was sentient were nothing short of baseless.

    The question remains, though. Will computers eventually become sentient?

    Watch this video and find out about computers gaining consciousness.

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. Explain what ”reframe” means. “We have to be very careful about how we talk about that and reframe these things as tools.” Use this word in a sentence.
    2. What does the expression “state of affairs” mean? “It’s a sad state of affairs for us.” Use it in a sentence.
    3. What does “means to an end” mean, “We must treat others as ends in and of themselves rather than means to our own end.”? Use this idiom in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What are your thoughts on how the AI describes itself and how it has started having a sense of a soul at the beginning of the video?
    2. How about the app that lets you chat with what seems to be a girlfriend?
    3. Share your views about the possibility of AI gaining consciousness.
    4. What does David Chalmer mean when he said “subjective experience” instead of “consciousness”?
    5. What are the pros and cons of sentient AIs?

    Conscious Consumerism

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Conscious consumerism is a mindful approach to shopping and spending, emphasizing awareness of the social, environmental, and ethical implications of one’s purchases.

    It’s about making intentional choices that align with personal values, supporting products and companies that prioritize sustainability, ethics, and social responsibility.

    By being a conscious consumer, individuals play a role in fostering positive change and influencing businesses to adopt more ethical and sustainable practices.

    Watch the video and be able to answer the questions below.

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does the expression “to jump on the trend” mean, “A lot of people are jumping on the trend right now.” Make one sentence.
    2. What does the phrase “a sense of community” mean, “The greatest benefit for the women we help employ is that they get to work in an environment that promotes dignity, pays them a wage that is a livable wage that can provide for their families, and give them a sense of community and access to healthcare and education for their children.” Use the phrase in a sentence.
    3. What is the meaning of “cycle of poverty“, “It’s a holistic approach that really will break a cycle of poverty and be sustainable for those women.” Make one sentence using this phrase.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. How do you prioritize conscious consumerism in your daily shopping habits?
    2. What factors influence your decision to support a particular brand or product from a conscious consumer perspective?
    3. In your opinion, how can conscious consumerism contribute to positive societal and environmental change?
    4. Do you believe that businesses have a responsibility to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices, and how does this impact your purchasing choices?
    5. How do you handle situations where there’s a conflict between a product you want and the ethical considerations associated with its production or sourcing?

    Why Do We Binge-Watch?

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Binge-watching has become a cultural phenomenon in recent years, transforming the way we consume television shows and other media.

    The allure of binge-watching can be attributed to a combination of factors. The convenience of streaming platforms allows us to access entire seasons of our favorite shows instantly. The immersive nature of many series creates a sense of attachment to characters and storylines, making it difficult to resist the urge to keep watching. Also, binge-watching also offers a temporary break from reality, providing a relaxing and enjoyable way to unwind. Ultimately, the rise of binge-watching reflects our changing media consumption habits and the evolving nature of entertainment in the digital age.

    Watch the video to learn more and be able to answer the questions below.

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does “in bulk” mean? “Netflix had realized that loads of people are gravitating towards watching shows in bulk.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
    2. What’s the meaning of the word “to be caught up about something“? “I think there is an anxiety about being caught up about this content, which is forcing people to binge more.” Make a sentence using the expression.
    3. What does the phrase “to shovel” mean here, “Bingeing is to shovel yourself.“? Use it in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What factors contribute to the rise of binge-watching as a popular way of consuming television content?
    2. How has the availability of streaming platforms influenced the binge-watching trend?
    3. In your opinion, what psychological or emotional aspects make binge-watching so appealing to audiences?
    4. Do you think binge-watching has changed the way we perceive and engage with TV shows compared to traditional weekly releases?
    5. Are there any potential negative effects of binge-watching on individuals, such as health or social implications?