Tag: B1 – Intermediate

Advertising

B1 – Intermediate

Advertising is the way to sell products or goods to customers. It’s a creative way to communicate and to publicly promote products, brands, and services with potential buyers.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about advertising.

https://listenaminute.com/a/advertising.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you define advertising?
  2. Do you think advertising is an art? Explain.
  3. What do you think of the ads in other countries?
  4. Is advertising a good or bad thing? Explain.
  5. What would the world be like without advertising?
  6. Do you think you are easily persuaded to buy things after seeing or hearing an ad? Why / Why not?

Emotions of Dogs

B1 – Intermediate

Dogs are highly social animals. They have emotions just like people do. They experience feelings such as happiness, anger, fear, joy, and anxiety. It is also known that part of a dog’s ability to understand human emotions comes from the long-established relationship between humans and canines.

Let’s listen to the audio and read the transcript below to know more about the emotions of dogs.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/emotions-of-dogs-level-3/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you have or have you ever had a dog for a pet? Talk about your experience being a dog owner.
  2. What are the good and bad things about having a dog?
  3. Do you agree that dogs have emotions? Why or why not?
  4. In what ways are dogs helpful to humans?
  5. What do you think of dog hotels, dog cafes, and poodle parlors?

Yellow School Bus

B1 – Intermediate

In the US, the school bus is believed to be the safest vehicle on the road. Parents feel safe when their children take this yellow bus to school. They have safety features that not all vehicles have. It is easy to notice them on the road because they are yellow in color.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript and find out why school buses are yellow.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/reasons-for-yellow-us-school-buses-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why are school buses in yellow?
  2. Why do you think school buses are safer than most vehicles?
  3. Are school buses common in your country? Are they also painted yellow?
  4. Do you have children or young family members who go to school? How do they usually get there?
  5. What other protective measures should be included in yellow buses or school transport?

Warm Banks Spread

B1 – Intermediate

The prices of electricity and gas have increased a lot. As a result, more and more people, especially in the UK, are probably won’t be able to use their heating systems in their homes.

To solution this problem, several non-government groups have opened heat banks across the UK. A heat bank is a place where people can stay warm without having to pay for anything.

Read the lesson on the increase of heat banks in the UK and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2208/220815-warm-banks-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on heat or warm banks? Do they help poor people or not? Explain.
  2. Is this a problem that some people in your country also suffer from? What do you think of it?
  3. What measures are you taking to save money and decrease your energy and gas consumption?
  4. Are you also angry about the higher and higher profits oil companies are making each year? Why or why not?
  5. “Each year in the UK, cold weather kills around 11,400 people.” What is your reaction to this?

Weather and Tea

B1 – Intermediate

Tea is such an important drink all over the world. India is one of the main sources of it. However, due to the very unpredictable weather these days, tea farmers are having problems in growing tea in their plantations.

If this problem persists, it could cause a shortage in tea supply in the world. 

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about the problems in tea production caused by extreme weather changes.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/weather-and-tea-level-3/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. Are there tea plantations in your country? How are their conditions nowadays?
  3. What agricultural problems do you have in your country that is caused by unpredictable weather?
  4. How important is tea in your country or for you?
  5. What are the health benefits of drinking tea?

Nuclear Annihilation is One Mistake Away

B1 – Intermediate

With all the global issues and political tensions we are facing these days, the possibility of a nuclear war is very high. The UN has warned that one little misunderstanding could potentially start a nuclear annihilation.

It is imperative to find a way that these nuclear weapons are eliminated so we are sure that they could never be used.

Read the article about how possible it is for a nuclear war to break any moment. Be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2208/220804-nuclear-annihilation-0.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to what the UN has said that “humanity is just one misunderstanding away from a nuclear war”?
  2. How can this be stopped?
  3. What national security issues is your country facing at the moment?
  4. Do you think countries with nuclear weapons would agree to eliminate them? Why or why not?

Thinking Makes Us Tired

B1 – Intermediate

When you think of tiring activities, you probably think of running a marathon, exercising at the gym, and swimming non-stop. You would probably not think of thinking as something that causes us to get tired.

However, a recent study proves that exerting too much mental effort actually drains us physically.

Read the article and find out why thinking makes us tired. Be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2208/220818-thinking-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to the result of this study?
  2. Does thinking make you tired? What do you do when you feel tired from thinking?
  3. Do you agree or disagree that a power nap is good for you/for your brain? Explain.
  4. What are some mentally-exhausting activities for you?
  5. How do you make sure your brain is healthy?

Cryotherapy

B1 – Intermediate

When are bodies need to heal, we find the best therapy. What do you think about a therapy wherein they put you inside a machine to freeze your whole body for a few minutes?

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about cryotherapy.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/cryotherapy-level-2/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your opinion about this therapy.
  2. What are the good and bad things about this kind of therapy?
  3. Would you be interested to try it? Why or why not?
  4. What other therapies similar to cryotherapy do you know of?
  5. What other therapies similar to cryotherapy have you tried? Talk about its effects on you. 
  6. What other therapies similar to cryotherapy are you interested to try and why?

Free Period Products

B1 – Intermediate

For women, having their menstruation can be a nuisance. Nowadays, another problem they are facing is the high prices of these products that they use when they have their periods.

Scotland created a law that provides these types of products to women of all ages in their country for free.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about Scotland providing free period products to its female citizens.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/free-period-products-in-scotland-level-2/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your reaction to this law. Is a law such as this necessary in every country? Why or why not?
  2. What is your reaction to this, “Some women have so little money that they can’t buy these products every month.”?
  3. What might be other problems women have with their physical hygiene?
  4. In your country, what other laws can the government create to help women in maintaining their health?

Clothes

B1 – Intermediate

Clothes are important because it protects us from the weather and provide us with warmth and cover. They also make us desirable in others’ eyes; making us wanted and even disliked.

Because clothes are important, do you buy too many of them?

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about clothes.

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

Discussion Questions:

  1. About how much money do you spend on clothes a year?
  2. Can you be fashionable without spending money?
  3. Do you have clothes in your closet that you’ve never worn? Why haven’t you worn them?
  4. Do you always recycle your old clothes or give them to charity?
  5. What’s your favorite piece of clothing? Why?
  6. Do you buy clothes online? Why or why not?
  7. Is fashion a kind of art? Elaborate.