Tag: audio

Immigration

B1 – Intermediate

Immigration is the process of acquiring permanent residence in a foreign country. Most people decide to move to other country when they are not satisfied with conditions in their homeland: lack of jobs, low salaries, high taxes, corruption. All of these make a person seek a better life.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about immigration.

https://listenaminute.com/i/immigration.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the word “immigration” mean? “Immigration wasn’t really a problem a long time ago.” Use this word in a sentence.
  2. What does the verb “encourage” mean? “The USA, Australia and Canada encouraged millions of people to come and live in their countries.” Give 2 synonyms and use ‘encourage’ in a sentence.
  3. What does “risk” mean here, “People risk their lives to get the chance of starting a new life in a rich country.“? Give 2 synonyms and use ‘risk’ in a sentence in this context.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is immigration from one country to another a problem? In what ways do you see it as a problem?
  2. What are reasons people immigrate?
  3. Would you like to live and work in another country? Where and Why?
  4. How does immigration affect the economic situation in your community?

Hacking

B1 – Intermediate

Cyber hacking has stolen millions from people worldwide, and not just money but also people’s personal information. Company computers and network systems have crashed because of cyber hacking.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about hacking.

https://listenaminute.com/h/hacking.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “hacking” mean? Elaborate.
  2. What does the word illegal mean? Give 2 synonyms.
  3. What does the word information mean? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you know about hacking?
  2. Why do you think hackers do what they do?
  3. Do you always download security updates to protect your computer from hackers? Why or why not?

Electricity

B1 – Intermediate

Electricity is defined as a form of power that modern age people have a tough time surviving without. It has a great influence in media both in communication and entertainment. It powers almost all the appliances that are used on a daily basis such as telephones and cellphones.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about electricity.

https://listenaminute.com/e/electricity.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the word “flick” mean? Use it in a sentence.
  2. Explain the word important and use it in a sentence.
  3. What does the word “dangerous” mean? Give 2 synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is electricity?
  2. What kind of world would we live in without electricity?
  3. Do you think electricity is the greatest invention ever? Why / Why not?
  4. What dangers does electricity pose in your house?
  5. What do you do to save on your electricity bills?

E-mail

B1 – Intermediate

Electronic mail has made the communication system so much easier. It is mostly used for sending messages, files, and documents.

In the previous time, people wrote letters to their relatives and friends to keep communication and contact with them, which was a very slow process. But now email has changed the entire scenario. We can get connected with anyone easily.

Let’s listen to the audio below.

https://listenaminute.com/e/e-mail.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does electronic mean? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does spam mean? Give examples.
  3. What does the abbreviation “ASAP“ mean? Give 2 synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is e-mail to you?
  2. What you prefer, writing an e-mail or real letters with a pen and paper? Why?
  3. Do you ever receive spam mail? What do you do with it?
  4. How many different e-mail accounts do you have / need? Why?
  5. What new functions would you like to see with e-mail?
  6. What will replace e-mail in the future?

Hotel Reservations

B1 – Intermediate

It is always a good idea to have your travel needs arranged before your trip. A place to stay is one of the things you may need when you are going on a trip. Whatever type of accommodation you choose, it is better to book in advance to avoid the last minute hassles of finding an available room for you.

Let’s listen to the audio for an example hotel reservation scenario.

Hotel Reservations

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “suite” mean? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “all booked” mean in this sentence,” Are you all booked that night?” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What type of room did Max reserve?
  2. What other room types did the hotel clerk recommend?
  3. How much does he need to pay for the room reservation?
  4. Have you made a hotel reservation before? What information did you provide?
  5. What other ways of hotel reservation do you know? Which one is the most convenient?

Apple Workers Protest

B1 – Intermediate

Many, if not all, countries have relaxed their COVID restrictions over the past year. However, it is not the case in China. They continue to have strict rules to prevent new COVID infections in their country.

This means that some workers have to be quarantined in dormitories. Workers are not happy anymore with their conditions so they started protesting.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about Apple workers’ protests in China.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/apple-workers-protest-level-2/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “lead to” mean? “Many of them were very unhappy with the situation, which led to protests.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “tough” mean in this sentence, “Tough restrictions are still in China as the country is trying to stop new COVID-19 infections.“? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “shorten” mean? “The government promised to make some changes such as shorten quarantines, but not much changed so far.” Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on these protests?
  2. What is your opinion on the labor conditions of Apple’s factory workers in China?
  3. What is your opinion on China still having tough Covid restrictions until now?

Wedding Ring History

B1 – Intermediate

It is quite surprising how the practice of wearing engagement or wedding rings started. For the longest time, we have been associating these rings with the notion of love and commitment. However, this was not exactly what it meant in the past.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to understand this history better.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/wedding-ring-history-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the history of wedding rings? Which finger are they put on and why?
  2. In old Rome, the ring was a mark of ownership. What are your thoughts on this? How did this practice evolved over time?
  3. What is your opinion on engagement or wedding rings/symbols?
  4. In your country, are there alternatives to wedding/engagement rings? Give suggestions for other possible options.

Busy

B1 – Intermediate

People’s lives are surrounded by a great deal of work in today’s modern life, thanks to technological major advancements and cutting-edge breakthroughs in every aspect of science. Some people firmly believe that learning new sports or arts and crafts appears to help them make better use of their free time. So, how about you? Are you busy? 

Let’s listen to the audio and read the transcript below about being busy.

https://listenaminute.com/b/busy.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What takes up most of your time?
  2. Do you think you manage your time wisely? Why or why not?
  3. Would you rather be overly busy or unproductive? Explain your choice.
  4. How do you know when there are too many tasks and when they are manageable?
  5. Do you have enough time to pursue your interests? Why or why not?

Cyber Crime

B1 – Intermediate

Cyber crime is a criminal act, which is now a worldwide problem committed on the internet using the computer as either a tool or a targeted victim by hacker or cracker.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript below about cyber crimes.

https://listenaminute.com/c/cyber_crime.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you know about hacking?
  2. What could you lose if someone hacked into your computer and how upset would you be?
  3. Do you think large companies fear hackers? Why or why not?
  4. What punishment should a hacker receive?
  5. Do you think your computer is becoming less or more secure? Explain.

Culture

B1 – Intermediate

Culture includes things like moral standards, religious views, representations, social standards, and behavioral patterns. It has a major influence on our everyday practices, including how we converse and presume, what we wear, what we consider, how we sit at the table, and how we engage in conversation with others. But what role does culture play in our society?

Let’s listen to the audio and read the transcript below about culture.

https://listenaminute.com/c/culture.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think is interesting about your culture?
  2. Should an individual know much about their own culture? Why or why not?
  3. When people from other countries think about your culture, what do they usually think of?
  4. What does it mean to be polite in your culture?
  5. What is considered rude in your culture?