Tag: B1 – Intermediate

Give All Tips to Staff

B1 – Intermediate

Waiting tables is one of those jobs that pay too little. A lot of waiters who work in restaurants depend on tips for more salary.

However, not all restaurants give the full amount of tips collected to their waiters.

Read the article below about a new law that obliges restaurant owners to give all the tips to their waiting staff.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1810/181004-tipping-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “tip” mean, “UK restaurants will soon have to give all tips to their staff.”? Give a synonym and use the word ‘tip’ in a sentence.
  2. What does “staff” mean, “Many waiting staff are happy with the new law.”? Give a synonym and use the word ‘staff’ in a sentence.
  3. What does “to be fed up with sb/sth” mean, “They are fed up with chain restaurants keeping their tips.”? Use this expression in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree with this new law? Do you think it is necessary to have this law?
  2. What is your opinion on restaurants not giving the tips to their staff?
  3. Do you need to tip waiters in your country? Why or why not?
  4. What are some low-paying jobs in your country?
  5. How can we make sure all workers are treated fairly by their employers?
  6. Should tipping be abolished and replaced with higher wages for service workers? Share your point of view.

Tethered to Phones

B1 – Intermediate

Parents are concerned about the amount of time their teenage children spend in front of screens, while more others expressed concern about their own screen time.

Experts say parents have a big role in their kids’ screen habits and setting a good example is a big part of it.

https://www.voanews.com/a/study-teens-parents-tethered-smartphones/4539560.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think people are too tethered to their phones? Why or why not?

2. How often do you use your cellphone?

3. Should parents set a good example to their children by showing lesser usage of cellphones?

US to Spend Billions on Artificial Intelligence Weapons

B1 – Intermediate

What springs to your mind when asked about AI or Artificial Intelligence? Well, opinions differ for sure. Some would say it is of great advantage and some would say it is dangerous or a few would say they don’t care.

The United States will spend billions on developing AI weapons. They wanted to be ahead in terms of this technology as China and Russia are known to have their own.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1809/180912-weapons.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on AI weapons?
  2. What would be the outcome if these weapons will be used in the future?
  3. Will there be more of the advantages than the disadvantages?
  4. How do these weapons protect the welfare of the country?
  5. Would these weapons make the US more powerful than its counterparts?

Starbucks Cafes

B1 – Intermediate

Cafes are known for their very comfortable and homey ambiance. This makes it a perfect place to relax and pass time. The question is, if you want to stay in a cafe for many hours or just use their toilets, is it necessary to order something?

Read more below about this new rule that Starbucks is implementing in its stores.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1805/180522-starbucks-cafes-1.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your opinion about this news?
2. Do you agree that any person who enters a shop is a customer? Explain.
3. Do you believe this new rule will make life easier for the cafe managers? Why or why not?
4. What do you think would be the results of this new rule to Starbucks?

Film Star Pay

B1 – Intermediate

It looks like they live in a world of fame, money, and glamour. Celebrities seems to have it all. This kind of life attracts many people to dream of becoming a star too.

But what if movie stars do not receive high pay? Will it be as interesting to become one?

Read more about the new rule in China in the article below.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1807/180701-film-star-pay-1.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you agree with the government’s decision?
2. Should movie stars be paid a lot of money? Why or why not?
3. Who is your favorite movie star? Talk about him or her.

Japan Lowers Age of Adulthood

B1 – Intermediate

More and more young Japanese do not want to get married and start a family. This would affect the economy and the whole society in the future.

To avoid serious consequences of this trend, the Japanese government has decided to change adulthood age from 20 to 18.

Read on about this change through the article below.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1806/180617-adulthood-4.html

Discussion Question

  1. What can you say about this change?
  2. What effects are the Japanese government hoping for with this change?
  3. Do you think those would be achieved?
  4. How do you think the traditional “Coming of Age” Day in this country will change now?
  5. What are some things 18 and 20 year-olds do in your country?

Japan Fans Clean Up After Game

B1 – Intermediate

Japan beat Colombia in a World Cup game. After the game, Japanese fans cleaned up the stadium. They picked up their wrappers and food bags and placed them in large garbage bags they had brought with them.

Experts on Japanese culture were not surprised that this happened. They say that in Japan people like to keep places clean. It is normal for them to pick up trash off public spaces. They also are proud to be good guests. And as guests in Russia, they wanted to be respectful of their host country.

The US and other countries can learn a lot from this event. In US culture, it is not normal to clean up after yourself in stadiums, movie theaters or other public spaces.

The Japanese weren’t the only ones cleaning up after themselves. Senegal fans did the same after their game against Poland.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about this kind of behavior?
  2. Talk about a behavior Spanish are proud about.
  3. What do you know about Japanese culture?

Spikes Stop People Sleeping in the Streets

B1 – Intermediate

Over the last year, many buildings have installed “anti-homeless” spikes like these to stop people sleeping in the streets. The spikes are appearing in major cities such as London and Manchester, outside shops and under bridges where homeless people usually sleep.

The shops and businesses believe that when homeless people sleep near their buildings, this gives a bad impression to customers and it might stop people entering the buildings.

These spikes were installed outside Selfridges, a luxury department store in Manchester, on the 1st December last year.

The store says it has installed these spikes because customers have complained that people who sat here smoked and left litter. This made the front of the shop look ugly.

The phenomenon of “defensive architecture” such as this is very controversial. Over 3,000 people have signed a petition to remove the spikes from Selfridges saying that these spikes are “inhumane” and that they will not help solve the problem of homelessness in the UK. It will only move the problem to a different place.

The Guardian newspaper says that this type of architecture is a type of apartheid: it stops homeless people living in public places. It makes them invisible to the rest of society.

The UK is not the only country to install “anti-homeless” architecture. Spikes are also used in China. In New York City a famous bookstore has used water sprinklers to get rid of homeless people from the front of the shop.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about “defensive architecture”?
  2. Why is “defensive architecture” a controversial issue?
  3. What do you think can be done about homelessness in general?

Spain Sets New Rules for Airbnb

B1 – Intermediate

Airbnb connects people looking to have their homes rented with those who are trying to find a place to stay in specific locations. Airbnb offers its users a lot of options on different kinds of houses or properties and a stress-free way for house or apartment owners to make money by renting out their property.

However, Airbnb’s popularity has not come without any problems in some countries and their governments are quick to respond.

Read the article below on the new set of rules in Spain on Airbnb rentals.

In Barcelona and Madrid, Airbnb hosts will be required to register the rental property with the city government before listing it. New York and Paris already use this rule.

Spanish provinces are cracking down on Airbnbs. They have put in place several new rules that will limit the number of Airbnb rentals in Spanish cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Mallorca, Valencia, and Andalusia.

In Madrid, the city has proposed a rule (it’s not law yet) that would limit apartments to be rented only 90 days out of the year. It would also require that every property in the city center have a separate entrance for Airbnb guests. This proposal came after Madrid natives protested against tourists, saying that Airbnb has caused the city to have a lot more tourists. Some also believe that housing prices went up since Airbnb became so popular. With these new rules, 95% of Madrid’s existing Airbnbs would become illegal.

In Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza, the rules have already become laws. Starting July, only houses, no apartments, will be allowed to be rented out as an Airbnb. In addition, every property must be registered. As of right now, only 700 out of 20,000 properties are correctly registered. Airbnb is expected to remove illegal listings from the site. This means that a lot of people who rented properties in July and August will lose their reservations.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about the new rules set for Airbnb rentals?
  2. What is your opinion on this: “With these new rules, 95% of Madrid’s existing Airbnbs would become illegal.”?
  3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of putting up properties on platforms like Airbnb for rental?
  4. Have you used Airbnb before? What are the good and bad things about using it to book accommodations? If you haven’t, are you interested to try it out?
  5. What kind of accommodations do you prefer when you travel and why?

Amazon Alexa to Reward Kids

B1 – Intermediate

Where have all the manners gone? Rudeness is prevalent, while nobody seems to care and it seems that technology is behind it.

Amazon is changing this view by creating a version of Alexa that is helping children to be polite.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1804/180428-saying-please-2.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, does technology teach children to be rude? Can devices or apps teach kids to be polite?
  2. How important is it for children to learn to be polite?
  3. What’s the best way to teach children manners?
  4. Are people in your society becoming ruder or more polite?
  5. What rude behaviour do you see in public every day?