Tag: B1 – Intermediate

Inflation

B1 – Intermediate

Inflation is one of the most important economic issues in the world. It can be defined as the price of goods and services rising over monthly or yearly. Inflation leads to a decline in the value of money, it means that we cannot buy something at a price that same as before. This situation will increase our cost of living.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about inflation.

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

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is “inflation rate“? “Zimbabwe once had an inflation rate of trillions of percent.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  2. What does the phrase “to keep something under control” mean, “Many countries around the world are fighting to keep inflation under control.”? Use this in a sentence.
  3. What does “to lose the battle against something” mean, “Sometimes you read about countries that lose the battle against inflation.” Use this in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is inflation important to economists?
  2. Have you changed your spending or your habits because of the rising prices?
  3. Do you think your government should do more to help people manage in the middle of this problem with inflation? Share your opinion.
  4. What will happen to the world if prices keep rising?
  5. What will happen to your lifestyle if prices keep rising?
  6. What hurts you more, increase in fuel prices or food prices? Why?

Gambling

B1 – Intermediate

Gambling is defined as placing money or betting in a game to win even more money depending on luck without working really hard. Gambling is a kind of a shortcut to getting a lot of money. Everyone would like to follow an easy way to make money. Even rich people gamble to become even richer. However, it is a game of chance. Many people also end up losing a lot of money to it.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about gambling.

https://listenaminute.com/g/gambling.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “nothing good comes out of something” mean, “I don’t think much good comes [out] of gambling.”? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “odds to be against someone” mean, “The odds are always against you.”? Use this idiom in a sentence.
  3. What does “to get fed up with someone/something” mean, “They must get fed up with throwing their money away.”? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever won or lost money from gambling? Share that situation.
  2. Do you think buying lottery tickets is a form of gambling? Why or why not?
  3. Why do you think so many people like gambling?
  4. How can someone stop from gambling too much?
  5. What damage does gambling do to an individual and the society?
  6. How different do you think the world would be if gambling didn’t exist? Explain.

AI Chatbots ChatGPT and Google Bard

B1 – Intermediate

Chatbots are computer programs used to simulate chat with a human user. The latest chatbot to become more popular is ChatGPT. When a user asks something on ChatGPT, it can answer almost every question you ask it and with perfect grammar. It’s like you are really talking to another person.

Google didn’t waste time and launched its own version called Google Bard. 

It has now become a race for the best AI chatbot in town between Google and Microsoft.

Read the article on the AI chatbot battle between ChatGPT and Google Bard.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2302/230213-chatgpt-chatbot-4.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does ”hot on the heels of sb/sth” mean, ”Hot on the heels of ChatGPT came Google’s Bard.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does the expression “to spread like wildfire” mean, “A new online revolution has begun and is spreading like wildfire.” Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does “shake up” mean, “There are many questions about how chatbots will shake up our world.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Bard? Would you use such programs?
  2. What are the uses and dangers of such AI chatbots?
  3. How is this going to change our lives/societies?
  4. Share your opinion on this: “Teachers are worrying about “the end of homework”. 
  5. Do you agree or disagree that “AI can deepen our understanding of information and turn it into useful knowledge making it easier for people to get things done.”? Explain.

Sensitivity Readers

B1 – Intermediate

Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming are famous authors. Roald Dahl wrote “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and Ian Fleming, the “James Bond” novels. Their novels are classics. 

However, many things have changed in our society since these books were written more than 50 years ago. Language that were considered acceptable then, might be offensive now.

So, some classic novels have to be edited by what we call “sensitivity readers”. Publishing companies let “sensitivity readers” check for words that might not be politically-correct now.

Read the article on sensitivity readers.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2303/230302-sensitivity-readers.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does ”upset” mean here, ”They are worried that language in older books might upset people today, especially children.”? Give two synonyms of the word ‘upset’ and use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does the expression “belong to another time” mean, “A lot of the language they check belongs to another time.” Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does “character” mean, “The recent edits of the James Bond books are because of insensitive language about black characters and women.” Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why are sensitivity readers important?
  2. What do you think of the job of sensitivity readers?
  3. Should classic novels be edited to be politically-correct? Why/why not?
  4. How would you feel reading a book that contains language that might be considered offensive now?
  5. Name one classic book that you read. Were there parts that you thought were offensive?

Social Media and Plastic Surgery

B1 – Intermediate

Social media has a been a tool for people to be exposed to plastic surgery. Apparently, beauty standards are a thing on social media. Hence, people are wanting to get cosmetic procedures to conform to these so-called beauty standards.

Read the article to learn more about social media and plastic surgery.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/social-media-and-plastic-surgery-level-3/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “alter” mean, “Social media have built-in filters that alter face shape or facial features to fit current beauty trends.”? Give two synonyms of this word and use them in your own sentences.
  2. What does “go viral” mean, “This gives users an instant picture of what they might look like, and it helps the filters go viral.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. What does “ditch” mean, “They also warn that doctors with less training ditch their chosen profession to perform procedures.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on plastic surgery?
  2. What are the pros and cons of plastic surgery?
  3. Are people in your country open-minded about plastic surgery? Why / why not?
  4. Have you been influenced by social media? In what way?
  5. What do you think of the beauty standards on social media?
  6. Would you be open to get plastic surgery? Why/why not?

Promising Research on Psilocybin

B1 – Intermediate

Psilocybin is a substance taken from a species of mushroom. It is informally known as ‘magic mushroom’. In many places, it is illegal. However, medical researchers are looking at it as possible treatment for some conditions such as addiction and depression.

Read the article and listen to the audio to learn more about psilocybin.

https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2022-09-01-promising-research-on-psilocybin/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase ”cut back” mean, ”New research on psilocybin shows that it can help heavy drinkers cut back on alcohol.”? Give at least 1 synonym and use this word  in your own sentence.
  2. What does “otherworldly” mean, “The participants who received psilocybin reported having otherworldly experiences and in most cases were able to guess that they got the real psilocybin.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does “psychedelic” mean, “Although taking psilocybin is illegal in most places, medical researchers are currently interested in it and other psychedelic drugs for the treatment of addiction and depression.” Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on psilocybin as a possible treatment for some conditions?
  2. What are the benefits and risks of psilocybin?
  3. Should this type of treatment be legal? Explain your opinion.
  4. Should scientists continue to study psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs? Why or why not?
  5. If your doctor recommends this kind of treatment, would you do it?

Protein Hunger and Overeating

B1 – Intermediate

There are many types of dietary habits that people are trying to adopt in order to stay fit and healthy and one of those is the low-protein diet. However, this type of dietary habit could result in overeating, according to new research.

Read the article and listen to the audio to learn more about “protein hunger”.

https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2022-12-18-protein-hunger-and-overeating/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “prevalent” mean, “Eating more of the food that is prevalent in modern supermarkets, also means eating more calorie-dense types of food.”? Give 2 at least 2 synonyms of this word and use them in your own sentences.
  2. What does “dietary” mean, “Researchers from the University of Sydney followed the dietary habits of almost 10,000 Australians for one year.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does the expression “make sense” mean, “It makes sense that our bodies want protein because it does many things for us.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to the new research mentioned in the article?
  2. Have you tried a low-protein diet? How was it?
  3. Do you have a dietary habit? If yes, what is it? If not, why?
  4. Do you think you get enough protein? What foods do you get your protein from?
  5. Which healthy and unhealthy foods do you often eat?
  6. Do you often eat processed food? Why/why not?

People Drink Bleach

B1 – Intermediate

Even before the alarming concern for treating COVID-19 with the use of household disinfectants, bleach cure has been in practice for some Americans with the belief that ingesting it would cure autism. During the coronavirus pandemic, this became even more common due to a suggestion by then US president Donald Trump that bleach could possibly treat COVID.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript to know more about the dangers of this ingesting bleach.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/people-drink-bleach-level-2/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define the word “former“. Give two synonyms. Use each in sentences. Ex. “In 2020, former US president Donald Trump said that disinfectant may help treat COVID-19.”
  2. What does “disinfectant” mean? “In 2020, former US president Donald Trump said that disinfectant may help treat COVID-19.” Use this word in a sentence.
  3. What does the word “bleach” mean? “MMS is an industrial bleach which went on sale in the 1990s.” Use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Did you hear of any alternative unproven remedy for the treatment of coronavirus during the pandemic? What were they?
  2. What other ways could food and drug agency do to educate people on hazardous household products?
  3. What additional precautionary measures should companies implement to prevent this intentional ingesting of household disinfectants?
  4. What hazardous household products do you have at home? What have you noticed about their warning signs?

Hong Kong Needs Tourists

B1 – Intermediate

Countries all over the world have been affected by the pandemic. One of the countries that suffered the consequences is Hong Kong.

Now, the government needs to think of ways to boost tourism again.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about what Hong Kong is doing to attract more tourists into their country.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/hong-kong-needs-tourists-level-3/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “lure” mean, “Hong Kong will give 500,000 air tickets to lure tourists and businesses back to the city.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does ”revive” mean here, ”The government is seeking to revive the economy and repair Hong Kong’s global image after 2019’s violent protests and three years of self-imposed isolation during the pandemic.”? Give at least one (1) other definition of this word and use it in a sentence.
  3. What is a “giveaway”? “The giveaway will begin at the start of March and will last six months.” Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why does Hong Kong have problems with low tourism?
  2. What is your opinion on their campaign to get more tourists to visit their country? Do you think it will work? Explain.
  3. What would you do if you won a free flight to Hong Kong?
  4. What does your local and/or national government do to attract tourists to visit?
  5. What are some interesting activities/events in your city/country?

Noise

B1 – Intermediate

Noise is defined as an unwanted and unpleasant sound that causes annoyance to people. A particular sound may be music to someone, but a noise to another.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about noise.

https://listenaminute.com/n/noise.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “noise pollution” mean? “It’s strange to think that in the past few decades, people have been talking about noise pollution.” Explain and give examples of it.
  2. What does “get to someone” mean here, “I live in the city, so noise is everywhere. Sometimes it gets to me.“? Use this idiom in a sentence.
  3. What does the word “surrounding” mean, “It’s stuff that makes our surroundings unpleasant.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of noise pollution?
  2. Do you ever think that some music is just noise? Why?
  3. Is there a noise that you really can’t stand? What is it and what happens when you hear it?
  4. What do you do when people are very noisy near you?
  5. What effects can too much noise have on people and the environment? Explain.