Tag: B2 – Upper intermediate

Bank of England Staff Go on Strike

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Employees are going on a strike. They have decided to demand a pay increase from the Bank of England. Getting very little to no rise in their salary means workers have to constantly make ends meet.

Find out more about the current situation that the bank’s staff have to face and what led them to make the said decision.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1707/170705-bank-of-england.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think are the good and bad things about being a bank worker?

2. Do you think good pay is the most important requirement in a job? Cite a few reasons why.

3. Talk about what you know about the pay rise system in your country.

4. What are the usual reasons workers’ union go on strike in your country?

5. Do you believe strikes should be forbidden? Explain.

Spain Honors ‘Skateboarding Hero’

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For the past few years, terror attacks have been happening around the globe. When accidents happen most of us would run far away from it and save our dear life from danger. One Spanish skateboarder courageously faced the adversary and lost his life saving others. That’s why the Spanish government recognized him as a hero.

Read more about Ignacio Echeverría’s act of heroism from the article below.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40226731?intlink_from_url=http://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c0adb26a-0bdb-4f42-8c12-7d41b56986de/spain&link_location=live-reporting-story

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about Echeverría’s death?
2. Do you think he deserves to be honored as a hero? Why?
3. In your opinion, what makes someone a hero?
4. If you witness a crime in front of you, what would you likely do?
5. Do you think it’s dangerous to live in London? Do you feel safe living in Spain?

Clearing Up Confusions

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Rumors in the workplace can lead to hurt feelings and may mean employees have to work in a hostile environment. Whether a rumor is true or not, the outcome of spreading it can be damaging. Employers have a responsibility to try to control the spread of workplace rumors to ensure that the work environment is a positive place for all employees.

Watch the video and read the transcript about clearing up confusions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/english-at-work/47-language-to-clear-up-confusion

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you and your colleagues chit chat with each other? Why or why not?
  2. Talk about a situation where it was necessary for you to clear up a confusion at work.
  3. What are some common topics do coworkers speak about?
  4. What are things employees shouldn’t be talking about among themselves in the office?
  5. How damaging is it to spread rumors in the workplace? Explain and cite examples as well.

Google to Stop Searching Email to Sell Advertisements

 

© user: photo-mix / Pixabay / Public Domain
© user: photo-mix / Pixabay / Public Domain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Do you ever wonder why the right products show up on the side of your screen whenever you open the Google website? They are secretly scanning and searching for our activities and match it with the products we would likely buy. For some, the thought of it is scary. No wonder human rights activists are concerned about it for years.

Read more about it here:

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/google-stop-scanning-ads-gmail/3916800.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What email service do you use? Why?
2. Do you find online ads useful or annoying? Why?
3. Why do you think Google is the most popular search engine?
4. Do you worry about your privacy when you browse the internet? Why? Why not?
5. Do you think that email scanning is an invasion of privacy? Why? Why not?

Tips from Spain’s Centenarians

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Everyone would like to know the secret to a long life and a healthy body. Why not learn from Centenarians who have lived for more than 100 years?

Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-centenarians-idUSKBN14J128

Discussion Questions:

  1. What tips did the elderly Spanish people offer to those wishing to live long lives?
  2. How old is the oldest person that you have ever met? How would you describe him/her?
  3. Would you like to live for more or less 100 years? How do you imagine living this part of your life?

The Benefits of a Bilingual Brain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When you know more than one language, it’s no doubt that it makes life easier. Traveling seems more fun, watching movies even without subtitles is not a problem, and talking with native speakers is not too intimidating anymore. But are there other advantages to having a bilingual or multilingual brain?

Watch the video and know the other benefits of knowing more than one language and what it can do to our brain.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How is a bilingual brain different from a monolingual brain?
  2. Talk about some benefits of a bilingual brain.
  3. Talk about any disadvantages to knowing multiple languages.
  4. What are your thoughts on staying monolingual?
  5. Do you think everyone will be bilingual or even multilingual in the near future? Why or why not?

Banning Smartphones for Children Under 13

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© User: 3dman_eu / pixabay / CC0

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Kids born in the late 1990s and early 2000s are born in the digital age. Some kids as young as 2 years old already knows how to turn on a phone and use some apps. Young children learn how to use devices or gadgets such as mobile phones very easily these days but is it beneficial for them to start using cell phones at a young age?

Let us read the article below first and then answer the questions that follow.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/colorado-moves-to-ban-smartphones-for-children-under-13/3906933.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about the proposal?
2. Why do you think the proposal only targets phones with internet access?
3. What “mental effects” might constant smartphone use have on children?
4. Would you agree that a child’s smartphone usage is a “family matter?” Why? Why not?
5. Do you agree that children under the age of 6 should only watch an hour of videos a day? Why? Why not?
6. Do you think that the children of today will be completely dependent on digital devices by the time they grow up? Why? Why not?

The Impossible Burger

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A Silicon Valley start-up Impossible Foods make burgers entirely from plants. The burger is made from all natural ingredient and a special ingredient called heme. Heme makes the meat smell, sizzle, bleed, and taste gloriously meaty.

A butcher, a cardiologist, a vegan and a technology reporter put the burger to a test. Let’s find out what they think of it:

 

Discussion Questions:

1. How did the people in the video react?
2. What do you think of the Impossible Burger? What makes it special?
3. How much do you like burgers? Would you try this burger?

 

Pakistani Farmers Get Tips via Text

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One problem farmers face is overwatering. It would help them a lot if they could get an advice regarding the proper amount of irrigation water to prevent them from overwatering their fields.

Farmers are now getting tips via text messages in Pakistan to make sure they get access to information for their irrigation needs in the quickest time possible.

Click on the article for more information on this way of disseminating information to farmers:

https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-farmers-get-tips-via-text/3917603.html?src=voa-editor-picks

Discussion Questions:

1. How does this new program help the farmers?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the said program?

3. Should farmers rely on this technology?

4. What are other ways to help farmers better?

 

 

 

No Wi-Fi, No Problem

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever imagined a world without internet? Can you live or work in such an environment? Well, there’s a place in the US where they don’t have any wi-fi or even an internet connection.

Let’s read more about the lifestyle of the people living in this place and start a discussion.

https://www.voanews.com/a/no-wi-fi-no-internet-no-problem/3784710.html

Discussion Questions:

1. How would you feel about living in a town with no internet service? Why?
2. What do you imagine the lifestyle of Green Bank residents is like?
3. Do you think it is difficult for Green Bank residents to stay informed? Why? Why not?
4. How do you think the priorities of people living with and without the internet differ?
5. Are there any populated areas in your country with no internet access?