Tag: Advanced English CAE

What If Humans Disappeared?

C1 – Advanced

Humans have been around for about six million years, and our effects on the planet cannot be understated. We have contributed significantly to the changes in the Earth’s landscapes, global warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, biodiversity, and many more. So, what would the world be like if humans vanished?

Watch the video below.

Discussion Questions:

1. About the video:
a. What would happen the moment everyone vanished?
b. What would happen days to weeks after humans vanished?
c. What would happen after years and thousand of years after the vanishing?

2. If everyone vanished except you, what do you think would be the first things that would affect you? How would you survive?

3. What are your realizations after watching the video?

Can Envy Be Good?

C1 – Advanced

Envy is defined by Cambridge dictionary as the feeling that you wish you had something that someone else has.  Do you ever feel envious when you see someone like a neighbor getting a new furniture? Do you ever wonder why this feeling overwhelms you? Is it normal to have an impulse of comparing yourself to others?

https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/can-envy-be-good-for-you

Discussion Questions:

1. Is there something we need to learn about envy?
2. How are envy and admiration different?
3. When is envy good?
4. How do you deal with envy?

 

Is Cannibalism Unhealthy?

C1 – Advanced

Human cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh or internal organs of another person. Many think of it as a gruesome procedure and is considered taboo in most countries. Although it is very rare nowadays, there are still some groups or cultures who continue doing this for religious or ritualistic purposes. In modern societies, some forms of cannibalism exist as well.

How nutritious though is the human body as a food source? Watch the video and tell us what you think.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about the reasons stated in the video.
  2. How adventurous are you when it comes to food?
  3. Tell us about bizarre or exotic food in your country.

 

Rise of Robots End of Work?

C1 – Advanced

Robots and Artificial Intelligence are rapidly advancing in the recent years. Are you one of the thousands of people who are worried about job opportunities in the future? Let us see things in a different perspective and learn more from the specialists.

Watch the video below.

Discussion Questions:

  1.  Are you scared of robots replacing humans?
  2.  What do you think can men do if robots dominate the jobs in the future?
  3.  How can we prepare the next generation with the rise of robots?

Flood of Plastic

C1 – Advanced

Plastics are practically everywhere! We are using them on a daily basis and we all know their alarming effect in the ocean. They say that plastics will outnumber the fish in the sea. Some companies are doing their best to change the course of our future by reducing the use of plastics. There are also some organizations which collect plastics to sell.

Let’s read more about this topic below!

Amid a Flood of Plastic, Big Companies See Opportunity

Discussion

1. Are you concerned about the problem of plastic waste? Why? Why not?
2. What recycling target has the EU set?
3. Do you try to reuse and recycle as much as possible? Please explain your answer.
4. Do you think all companies that currently use disposable plastic packaging will eventually be forced to modify their business models? Why? Why not?

Takeaways from an AI Assistant Laughing on Its Own

C1 – Advanced

Some users have been creeped out by Alexa suddenly talking and laughing without being prompted any commands. Alexa is Amazon’s virtual AI assistant.

After some incidents were reported, Amazon immediately set out to find ways to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Read more on this news and take a look at some takeaways we can get from this whole fiasco. Click on the link below:

https://futurism.com/ai-assistant-amazon-alexa-laugh/

Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think about this problem with Alexa?
2. Would you feel scared too if you heard your AI assistant performing tasks unprompted?
3. Do you use AI assistants? Why or why not?
4. Is it possible for robots to be smarter than how they were programmed?

Digitizing Old Weather Reports

© BBC News

C1 – Advanced

At a time when we depend on computers so much, we opt to digitize everything.

Old handwritten weather data from the Ben Nevis weather station are aimed to be copied into a database.

Learn more about the old way they gathered weather data at Ben Nevis and the quest to have all records digitized.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41166778

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think that the project is relevant? Why or why not?
2. How can the digitized weather data be helpful for us at present and in the future?
3. Given a chance, would you be willing to volunteer in a project such as this?
4. Asked which is more accurate between a computer or a human, Prof. Hawkins said, “for accuracy, the human eyes still do it better”. Do you agree or disagree with him.

Online Deliveries Jam Streets

C1 – Advanced

Online delivery service is very popular and a convenient way for customers to receive items right at their doorstep but to what extent? Will this continue to keep the streets busy and congested.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42245367

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is online shopping for you?
  2. How do you feel about online deliveries?
  3. How can we stop delivery trucks clogging up streets?
  4. What do you think of using buses to deliver parcels?

Why People Join Cults

C1 – Advanced

By definition, a cult is a group or movement with a shared commitment to a usually extreme ideology that’s typically embodied in a charismatic leader.  Have you ever wondered why thousands of people join cults?

Let’s watch this video to check how cults work, how people are recruited and why they stay in these groups.

Let’s Talk:

Explain what a cult is in as much detail as possible.

Are cults dangerous?

How does a cult differ from religion? How similar are they?

Should the government try to eliminate cults and other fringe or unconventional religious groups?

Would you sacrifice your relationships or morality for the greater good?

 

Useful words:

GRISLY (adj) –  causing horror or disgust.

INDOCTRINATION (n) –  the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.   [indoctrinate -verb]

 

Avoiding the Post-Vacation Blues

C1 – Advanced

After few weeks or a month-long holiday some employees feel sad and depress of the workload that they left.  This sensation is called post-vacation syndrome (PVS) or post-vacation blues it is a type of mood that persons returning home from a long trip (usually a vacation) may experience.

In this video, we will tackle how to overcome Post-Vacation Blues and bounce back immediately after your summer vacation. Watch the video below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the symptoms of post-vacation syndrome?
2. What are the ways to prevent PVS according to the video?
3. Do you sometimes spend time working for few hours during your vacation?
4. Do you have a lot of work load after your vacation?
5. What do you think are the pros and cons of “Workcation” (working from a vacation destination)?