Tag: B2 – Upper intermediate

The Most Dangerous Place in Earth’s History: Sahara Desert

B2 -Upper Intermediate

A team of scientists believe that an area of the Sahara desert in Morocco must be the most dangerous place on Earth. It was the home of terrifying array of ferocious predators. The report said that it was most uninhabitable place in Africa’s Age of Dinosaurs.

Let’s read the article and be ready to share your thoughts.

https://www.sciencealert.com/palaeontologists-say-ancient-sahara-was-most-dangerous-place-in-earth-s-history

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is the Kem-Kem Group the most dangerous place in Earth’s history?
  2. What is your opinion about the article?
  3. What are some things scientists can learn from studying fossils?
  4. If you had to pick just one place as the most hostile or dangerous place of all on the entire planet, what would it be and why?
  5. How dangerous do you think the world is today? Support your answer with examples.

Couples Get Married Online in New York

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A wedding is without a doubt one of the most special days in a woman’s life. This is her big day. This day is all about her. That is why weddings have become a big global industry.

During this pandemic, most couples’ wedding ceremony had to be postponed but that is not entirely the case in New York.

Read the article about online weddings in New York.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/zoom-yorkers-wed-online-200419165225473.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How is the online wedding procedure in New York?
  2. What is your opinion on online wedding?
  3. How do people in your country commonly get married?
  4. Share some traditional wedding practices in your country.
  5. Do you think this is one change we would eventually adapt even after the pandemic is over?

Fashion Upcycling

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When upcycling clothes, waste is looked at creatively and transformed into something new. A Swedish company found an alternative way to give old clothes new life and make them wearable again. In turn, this reduces wastes and contributes to making the world a more sustainable place.

Watch the video and be able to answer the questions that follow:

https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/sustainable-future?vpid=p06yvh4k

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about upcycling clothes?
  2. How often do you go shopping for clothes?
  3. What are the advantages of textile upcycling?
  4. What do you usually do with your old, damaged, or worn-out clothes?
  5. Is fast fashion and textile waste an issue in your country?

How Would You Like to Pay?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There are a lot of different options to pay for the things we need now. One must wonder which really is the best way.

Listen to the audio to figure out which method best suits your circumstances.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-160211

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the easiest way to pay? Which one do you prefer most?
  2. What are the risks of using debit cards or credit cards in shopping?
  3. What are your thoughts on mobile phones, contactless cards, and fingerprinting as payment methods?
  4. Are credit/debit card frauds common in your country? Have you or anyone you know ever been a victim of credit/debit card fraud? Share your story.
  5. Do you agree or disagree that the days of paying by cash is nearly history?

Men Should Grocery Shop During Pandemic

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Grocery shopping is one of the essentials that everyone should do in order to survive during this trying times. It has been an issue in some countries as they try to control the crowd of shoppers while abiding with the quarantine rules. One mayor in Japan had recently received backlash for stating that men should do the grocery shopping as women take longer which could lead to overcrowding at the supermarkets.

Read the article below for more details on this story and be ready to answer the questions for discussion.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/24/asia/japan-coronavirus-osaka-mayor-hnk-scli-intl/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on the mayor’s statement? Could it be considered a sexist remark?
  2. How do you plan your grocery shopping during the pandemic?
  3. Is there such thing as gender preference in effective grocery shopping?
  4. Based on your experience, make a comparison between men and women when it comes to grocery shopping.
  5. Describe your grocery runs during the pandemic.

Line Management

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Managers are the ones responsible for controlling damages, creating new tactics, trainings, and administering new procedures to make sure the company runs smoothly.

Most of the time, the manager is the go-to person of old and new employees when they need assistance at work.

Listen to the audio and let’s see how managers handle different staff.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/business-english/podcasts-for-professionals/line-management#

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever managed staff? Talk about your experience.
  2. Explain why line management matters.
  3. What makes a good line manager?
  4. What are some management strategies you know of?
  5. What are the aspects of managing that could be difficult?
  6. What are the positive things about managing staff?

Tips for Parents Coping with Kids at Home

B2 – Upper Intermediate

How can we turn self-isolation into family bonding time? During this difficult time of quarantine, we have learned how to adapt to living, working, and educating from home. What are some of the important things parent should know to stay creative as a family during a lock down?

Listen to the conversation and learn some tips to cope with kids at home.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200430

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the country described in the audio that has the longest school summer holidays?
  2. Did your daily routines change when lock down started? What are your normal routines during isolation?
  3. Explain how you help your kids cope with the lock down.
  4. How do you keep your kids happy during the lock down?
  5. What advice can you give other parents so they can survive this unprecedented situation?

The Unexpected Items Deemed Essential

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, many countries locked down and pretty much the world seems to be put on a stop. It has been necessary for “essential” services to be business as usual though.

Watch this video and find out about some countries’ culture based on what they think is considered indispensable for the whole duration of the stay-at-home policy.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-52272652/coronavirus-the-unexpected-items-deemed-essential

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the essential services mentioned in the video?
  2. Do you agree that those shops/services are essential?
  3. If you would be asked this question, what items/services or businesses do you deem are absolutely necessary?
  4. What are the “essential” services that has remained open in your country during the quarantine? Why are these services/businesses very important?

Four Signs You’re Not Cut Out For Freelance Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There are enormous advantages to freelancing that is why a lot of people are considering shifting from a traditional job to a freelance work. Freelance work offers flexibility and the notion of being your own boss. Although there are a lot of benefits to this alternative way of working, at some point, going freelance may not suit everyone.

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

https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/9253-four-signs-you-re-not-cut-out-for-freelance-work-and-what-to-do-about-it

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is freelancing becoming more popular in your country?
  2. What are the most in-demand industries for freelancers?
  3. What are the benefits of having a freelance work?
  4. Do you agree with the disadvantages mentioned in the article?
  5. Have you done freelance work before? Do you think you are cut out for it?

Are Bucket Lists Always a Good Thing?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The term “bucket list” is a list of all the goals and dreams we want to achieve in our lives before we kick the bucket. It can be in a duration of a month, a year, or even a lifetime; depending on the person. Almost everyone makes a bucket list. Some are doable but others are just unachievable. More or less, people make one for some sort of self-fulfillment.

Hear more information about it from the audio below.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-200416

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can having a bucket list be good for you?
  2. How can having a bucket list be bad for yourself and/or others?
  3. What items are on your bucket list?
  4. Do you like planning activities or are you the spontaneous type?
  5. What really excites you the most in life?