Tag: B1 – Lower Intermediate

Skiing Accident

B1 – Intermediate

Skiing is a very popular activity during winter. While it is very fun to do, it is also dangerous. You have to be very careful when you go skiing to prevent accidents.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about a professional American skier who had an accident while skiing in an Alaskan mountain.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/skiing-accident-in-alaska-level-3/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you like skiing? Why or why not? Talk about your first time skiing.
  2. What other winter activities do you like?
  3. What was your most memorable skiing or winter trip? Why was it memorable?
  4. Have you ever had any accidents doing sports?
  5. What is your opinion on getting injured while doing sports?

Online Piracy

B1 – Intermediate

Because of Covid-19 restrictions, a lot of people stay at home. One thing you can do in your house is watching movies and series. Normally, you need to pay for subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime, or HBO to be able to watch.

But what do you do if don’t want to pay to watch movies and series? Some people go to online piracy sites. These are websites where you can download or stream films and TV shows illegally but for free. This action is a big problem for the entertainment businesses.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about online piracy.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/online-piracy-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is online piracy and how does it affect companies like Netflix and Disney? What are its effects on the entertainment industry?
  2. What is your opinion about online piracy?
  3. How common or big is this problem in your country?

UK Exam Results Fiasco

B1 – Intermediate

In order to grade students’ exams, the UK government used an algorithm to determine the results. The problem is, the algorithm did not work properly. 

Read more about this lesson on the UK exam results fiasco.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2008/200819-exam-results-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. How would you feel if you were a student or a parent of a student affected by this?
  3. In your opinion, are grades important? Why or why not?
  4. What are/were some effects of the pandemic on schooling in your country?

Microsoft to Buy TikTok

B1 – Intermediate

TikTok has become a very popular social media platform nowadays. It’s an app where users can upload very short videos of themselves doing some funny stuff.

Microsoft has been considering to buy TikTok but President Trump is opposed to it. Then later changed his mind.

Read this lesson about Microsoft buying TikTok.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2008/200805-tiktok-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is President Trump opposed to Microsoft buying Tiktok at first? What changed his mind?
  2. What do you think of Microsoft’s offer of $50 billion for a part of the company?
  3. How popular is Tiktok in your country?
  4. Why do you think Tiktok is popular? What do you think of this app?
  5. Given a chance, what company would you like to buy or invest in and why?

Bin Bag Dress

B1 – Intermediate

It is not easy being a woman in business and politics. Sometimes, they suffer from discrimination. A young female politician in Australia experienced this. She has received criticism that are based on her gender or as simple as the way she dresses.

Read the transcript and listen to the audio from the link below.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/bin-bag-dress-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to Nicolle Flint wearing a garbage bag dress?
  2. Is it important for politicians to dress nicely? Why or why not?
  3. What are your thoughts on your politicians’ public image?

Gorilla Glass Toughest Smartphone Screen

B1 – Intermediate

Most people has a mobile phone. We take care of it because it is a very important device for us.

Every gadget owner’s worst fear is dropping their phone and breaking the glass on its screen. However, as technology advances, the glass used as material in making our mobile phone screens has also been improved a lot.

Read this lesson about the most durable smartphone screen.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200728-smartphone-glass-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news on tougher mobile phone screens?
  2. Have you ever dropped your smartphone and break its screen? What did you do when that happened?
  3. What other improvements or technology do you want to see in mobile phones?

New Netflix Subscribers Surge During Pandemic

B1 – Intermediate

Netflix is quite popular all over the world nowadays. It is a video streaming service that allows members to watch popular movies, TV shows, and documentaries on different devices. More and more people are now subscribing to Netflix since most of us are staying at home because of the pandemic.

Read this lesson on the increase in Netflix subscribers.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2004/200425-netflix.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is Netflix? Do you have a subscription? Why or why not?
  2. Do you like this kind of app? Why or why not?
  3. Why is there a big increase in the number of new Netflix subscribers recently?
  4. What TV shows or movies do you watch on Netflix?
  5. Do you think people will not continue with their subscription to Netflix after the pandemic? Why or why not?
  6. What are other activities you can do at home apart from watching on Netflix?

French Health Workers’ Pay Rise

B1 – Intermediate

They are clearly the heroes during this extremely difficult times. They are the health workers including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. With all the work that they do for us, how do we repay them?

There will be an increase in its health workers’ salary in France. The pay rise is a reward for the hard work of health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read this lesson on health workers’ salary.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200716-health-workers-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “applaud” mean here, “During the outbreak, millions of French people applauded nurses and doctors.“? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “protest” mean, “Unions asked them to stay away as a protest.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does the word “staff” mean, “The unions said the government had to do more to protect staff and keep them safe.“? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think health workers deserved this pay rise? Why or why not?
  2. Talk about salaries and benefits of health workers in your country. Do you think they are properly compensated?
  3. How were health workers’ hard work recognized or how were they rewarded during the pandemic in your country? 

Basic Income for Poor Could Slow COVID-19 Spread

B1 – Intermediate

The United Nations has thought of a way to slow the spread of COVID-19 down. It is to give poor people a temporary basic income. They said that if about 3 billion people would receive this help, they would not need to go out of their homes anymore. It would decrease the possibility of them spreading the virus even further. 

Read this lesson on temporary basic salary for poor people during the pandemic.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200724-basic-income-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can this help to poor people help slow the spread of Covid-19?
  2. Do you agree to giving the money to poor people? Why or why not?
  3. What other plans does your country/government have to  slow the spread of COVID-19?

Twitter Employees Can Work at Home Forever

B1 – Intermediate

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey emailed all his employees that most of them can continue working from home for as long as they want.

A Twitter spokesperson said, “Opening offices will be our decision. When and if our employees come back, will be theirs.” Even after the coronavirus pandemic, the employees can still have the freedom to choose where they want to work.

Twitter is an online company so almost all of the employees can just converse on chats and video calls. The past few months have proven that working online is possible.

Let’s read the article below to learn more about Twitter’s decision to let their employees work at their homes forever.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2005/200515-working-at-home-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Give 1-2 synonym/s of the phrase “work from home“. “Twitter has told many of it employees they can work from home forever.” Use them in your own sentences.
  2. What does the expression “to be in a good position” mean? “Twitter is in a good position for workers to work at home.” Make your own sentence using the phrase.
  3. What does the expression “to make something happen” mean? “If they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen.” Make your own sentence using the phrase.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your reaction towards Twitter letting their employees work from home forever?
  2. Do you think that this set up of working from home can still be productive for workers and the company?
  3. What are the advantages of working form home for the employees and the company?
  4. What are the disadvantages of working form home for the employees and the company?
  5. Given a chance, would you want to work from home for the rest of your life? Why?