Shoppers in Venezuela to be Fingerprinted

B1 – Intermediate

Venezuelans are experiencing food shortages in their country. The government came up a with a solution and decided to have shoppers scan their fingerprints to monitor the groceries they purchase. Venezuelans think this is illegal and that it will take their privacy away from  them.

Read the article and express your thoughts about it.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1408/140825-food-shortages.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “panic buying” mean? “It’s a kind of panic buying. President Nicolas Maduro has started a new system to stop people buying too much.” Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What is a “smuggler“? “The government blames smugglers who buy cheap goods and take them to Colombia to resell them for up to four times their original price.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. Can you give 1 synonym of “shortage“? “There are many reasons for Venezuela’s food shortages.” Use “shortage” in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think that fingerprint scanning is the solution to the food shortage that they are experiencing? Explain.
  2. In your opinion, what is the best solution to this problem?
  3. Have you experienced food shortage in your country? Talk about it in detail.

From Couch Potato To Cabin Fever

B1 – Intermediate

We all have different ways we like spending our downtimes. Some people would rather enjoy much of their free time hanging out at home.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about different expressions related to house/home.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/words-and-their-stories-from-couch-potato-to-cabin-fever-132322483/118835.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about being a couch potato?
  2. What are other alternatives to being a couch potato?
  3. How do you cope with cabin fever especially in winter?
  4. How might becoming an empty nester feel like for parents?
  5. How can older parents deal when their kids leave the nest?