Category: Homework

Switzerland Imports More Cheese 

B1 – Intermediate

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘Switzerland’ is cheese. The country is very famous for making cheese. It is a very important product from this nation.

However, for the first time, Switzerland is importing cheese more than exporting it.

Read the article about the Swiss cheese import-export trade.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2307/230713-swiss-cheese-2.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “open up” mean, “The reason is that Switzerland opened up its milk market.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does “compete” mean,  “This means it is difficult for Swiss farmers to compete with cheaper, imported milk.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does “a big part of one’s life” mean, “Cheese is a big part of life in Switzerland.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your reaction to this news about Switzerland importing cheese more than exporting it?
  2. Why are dairy farms disappearing in Switzerland?
  3. What products does your country import and export?
  4. Are there any industries that are disappearing in your country? What are they and why is it happening?
  5. Do people in your country eat a lot of cheese? Why or why not?

Slow Fashion

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Slow fashion is a movement that advocates for environmental and social justice in the fashion industry. Will you accept the challenge of buying fewer things and follow a more sustainable lifestyle?

Read the article to know how can slow fashion solve the problem of overproduction and overconsumption.

What Is Slow Fashion and How Can You Join the Movement?

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the idiom “be hell-bent on something” mean? “It’s not hell-bent on constant growth or accumulating more.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does the word “splurge” mean? “Splurging on new clothes and trends was something that only aristocrats indulged in; so regular folk without a royal budget invested in fabrics that were made to last.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of “innocuous”?  “It was only after disasters like the 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory collapse or the 2011 “killer jeans” silicosis expose that the public started to pay attention to the silent workers suffering from the deadly practices of an industry that makes seemingly innocuous items.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the article, how can you make the shift to slow fashion?
  2.  Do you spend a lot of time choosing what to wear? Talk about our shopping habits.
  3. What can people do to minimize the negative effect of their shopping habits?
  4. How do you think people’s shopping habits will change in  30 years?

Baby Boards Bus Alone

B1 – Intermediate

In a surprising turn of events, a bus ride took an unexpected twist when an unanticipated passenger made their presence known. This incident caught both passengers and the bus driver off guard, creating a moment of intrigue and curiosity.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about a baby who rode a bus alone.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/baby-boards-a-bus-alone-level-3/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “track down” mean in this sentence, “Officers managed to track down his parents an hour later with the mother saying that her little boy was playing outside her cell phone store when she realized that he had gone off somewhere.” Give a synonym and use “track down” in a sentence.
  2. What does “pull over” mean in this sentence “Neither the passengers or the bus driver could see if an adult was taking care of the toddler, and the bus driver pulled over and called police for help.” Give a synonym and use “pull over” in a sentence.
  3. What does “volunteer” mean in this sentence, “Passengers volunteered to take care of the baby until the police got there.” ” Give a synonym and use “volunteered” in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How did the passengers and the bus driver react to the situation? How would you react if you were also on that bus?
  2. What are some measures that can be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future?
  3. What are some lessons that can be learned from this incident to improve child safety measures in public spaces?

A Happier Summer Vacation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It goes without saying that every vacation should be enjoyed. Even so, we still don’t get to cherish our holidays as much as we should—our phones being one of the reasons. Checking your phone constantly when traveling is a waste of time and takes the moments you should be enjoying.

Read this article to learn how to have a phone-free vacation.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cellphone-use-vacation_l_649c7d7ae4b0ffbe3abc577a

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “spill into” mean? “Behaviors like this can help create a vacation habit that maybe even spills into your day-to-day life, too.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  2. Define “make the most of“. “The move is meant to help people make the most of their vacation.” Make a sentence with this phrase.
  3. What is an “toggle off“? “And, if you do end up needing your phone for directions or a translation app, you can toggle off airplane mode.” Make a sentence with this word.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the tips listed in the article? Do you think they are actually helpful?
  2. What is your opinion on the “phone-free island” mentioned in the article?
  3. Are you guilty of using your phone most of the time during a trip? Talk about it.
  4. What are the things you do to limit your screen time?
  5. What is your idea of a fun-filled vacation?

Traded-In Apple iPhone Refurbished

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In the world of technology, smartphones have become an essential part of our daily lives, and one of the most popular brands in the market is Apple. With each new release, millions of people eagerly anticipate getting their hands on the latest iPhone model, leading to a growing number of previously owned devices that are traded in or sold. But have you ever wondered what happens to these traded-in iPhones?

In this video, we will explore the fascinating journey of how a traded-in Apple iPhone gets refurbished, giving it a new lease on life before finding its way into the hands of a new owner.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of “trade in”? “Many iPhone users choose to trade in their old devices for credit towards a new purchase.” Make one sentence using the word.
  2. What does the word “refurbished” mean? “In 2022, 73.5 million used and refurbished phones were shipped in North America alone.” Use the word in a sentence.
  3. What does “triage” mean? “The first stop for our iPhone 11: data erasure and triage.” Use the word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. From an environmental perspective, do you believe refurbishing traded-in Apple iPhones is a more sustainable practice compared to manufacturing new devices? Why or why not?
  2. In your opinion, what are the key advantages of purchasing a refurbished iPhone over a brand-new one? Are there any potential drawbacks to consider?
  3. Do you think the refurbished iPhones market poses a significant threat to Apple’s sales of new devices? Why or why not?

Lucky Bus Driver

B1 – Intermediate

If you are driving a public transport vehicle, the lives of many people’s is your responsibility.

A bus was hit by a truck. The bus driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Fortunately, there was no passenger in the bus and the bus driver was not seriously hurt.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about the accident a bus driver luckily survived.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/lucky-bus-driver-level-3/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “graze” mean, “Miraculously, the bus driver only suffered cuts and grazes, and fortunately, there were no passengers onboard the bus.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does “to run a red light” mean,  “A bus driver in New Mexico was not wearing his seat belt when a pickup truck allegedly ran a red light, sending the driver through the windscreen.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  3. What does ”footage” mean, “The city transit department released the dramatic footage of the incident.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your reaction to this news?
  2. What lesson/s do you think the bus driver learned from this incident?
  3. What is your opinion about the driver not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident?
  4. What do you think about the truck that ran a red light?
  5. What do you do to be safe on the road?

Microscopic Handbag

B1 – Intermediate

For so many years, miniaturization has been done on different things. This means products are made smaller and smaller. One example is our mobile phones and computers.

More recently, mini bags have been in fashion. However, what do you think about a bag that is microscopic?

Read the article about a handbag that is one of the latest miniaturized things.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2307/230703-microscopic-handbag-4.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “miniaturize”, “The latest miniaturized thing is a handbag.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does “trend” mean, “This trend led to the mobile phone.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does ”______-inspired” mean, “The art group MSCHF created the Louis Vuitton-inspired bag.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on miniaturizing things?
  2. What are the good and bad things about miniaturization?
  3. What do you think of this miniature handbag? Would you buy this bag for $63,000? Why or why not?
  4. The chief creative officer of MSCHF thought the bag was funny because handbags are usually highly functional, but it is now an item of jewelry. What is your opinion on this?
  5. What other things do you want to be miniaturized and why?

Factory Decorates 8 Cakes a Minute

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Baking a single-tiered cake at home takes about 25-30 minutes. However, decorating it is another story. It usually takes about 4 hours or longer to make one cake. However, one factory manages to decorate eight cakes in a minute.

Here’s a full video and watch how the workers do it.

Vocabulary Discussions

Explain the meaning of the highlighted words below and make some sentences.

1. Start by scraping the icing to make sure that the icing goes into the holes of the stencil.

2. My handmade snowflakes are finally getting their starring role.

3. 480 cakes are boxed and conveyed towards the end of the line.

Discussion Questions

1. How does the video make you feel?

2. Discuss how the cake assembly lines in the video make it possible to decorate eight cakes a minute.

3. The workers use stencils to decorate cakes at a fast pace. Can you think of other tools or methods that help to speed up tasks?

4. Do you like decorating things? Talk about the best decoration you have ever made.

5. Have you ever witnessed a high-speed production process like the cake assembly lines in the video? If so, share your experience and impressions.

The Mini Cooper

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The Mini Cooper, a car that is not longer than 10 feet but can fit four people. This quirky piece of machine has its interesting history.

Discover how Mini Cooper came to be in a short video below.

Vocabulary Discussions:

Explain the meaning of the highlighted words below and make some sentences.

1. The Mini Cooper is a quirky machine that’s unapologetically British.

2. However, in 1956, Egypt nationalized the canal.

3. Its distinct British sensibility still sets it apart from other cars.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does the video say about the Mini Cooper’s design?

2. “The Mini Cooper is a quirky machine that’s unapologetically British.” Talk about something from your country and what makes it distinctively from your country.

3. The Mini Cooper was invented in response to the oil crisis. Think of other products that have emerged as solutions to address social issues.

4. How have cars influenced our daily lives and transportation options in modern society?

5. Talk about a product or service your company sells or offers and what sets it apart from others.

The Pythagorean Cup

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Do you know who Pythagoras is? If you answer “yes,” you probably know him as a Greek mathematician. You are also aware that he founded the Pythagorean school of thought. What you probably don’t know is that Pythagoras also invented a cup. The uniqueness of this cup lies in its remarkable ability to prevent intoxication. Hard to believe?

Watch the entire video and be amazed at how this simple-looking cup can prevent you from being drunk.

Vocabulary Discussions

Explain the meaning of the highlighted words below and make some sentences.

1. That is extremely sneaky.

2. It is a morality lesson and a practical joke at the same time.

3. Pythagoras has applied his brilliance to the temptations of the flesh.

Discussion Questions

1.What is the video all about?

2. How does the Pythagorean cup make sure people don’t drink too much wine?

3. How is the cup related to a morality lesson?

4. Would you consider buying a Pythagorean cup? Why or why not?

5. Can you think of any practical uses for the Pythagorean cup in modern times?