Tag: B2 – Upper intermediate

Steve Jobs Talks About Managing People

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Steve Jobs was one of the most famous CEO in the world. Ever wonder how he did it? How did he manage his people and build a successful multinational company?

Watch as Steve Jobs talks about managing people.

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the interview, how is the company organized?
  2. What kind of organization is set up in this company?
  3. According to Steve Jobs, why did Apple become successful? Share your thoughts on this.
  4. Explain your company’s management style. Is there anything that you would like to change?
  5. What do you think is the best way to manage people? Elaborate.

Showering Everyday Is Bad

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It’s common sense that we take a bath to wash away germs that can make us sick, to keep clean and to smell fresh. However, a research shows that we do not actually have to shower every day for it may cause more harm than good.

Click the link to find out.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/is-shower-everyday-good-or-bad-cleaning-hygiene-university-utah-amazon-village-microbes-skin-a7546216.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you take a shower every single day? How do you feel when you skip a shower?

2. After reading the text, would you change your routine?
What is your daily self-care routine?

3. How do you take care of your skin? What are the advantages of having beautiful skin?

Protesters Ransack South African H&M Stores Over Racist Ad

B2 –  Upper Intermediate

H&M, a Swedish multinational clothing-retail company, faces a backlash when an image of a black child models a sweatshirt with the slogan “coolest monkey in the jungle” came out.

This led to protesters running amok in some H&M stores in South Africa to express their anger.

Read the article to know more.  

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/protesters-ransack-south-african-h-m-stores-over-racist-ad-n837506

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on H&M’s advert?
  2. What are your thoughts on the protesters action?
  3. Speak about another company that was involved in a similar controversial.
  4. H&M already issued an apology for the racist advert. How do you think this kind of advert or controversy can affect a company like H&M?
  5. Share your thoughts about protests over corporate wrongdoing turning violent in South Africa. Has there ever been a similar incident in your country? Talk about it.

Cities Face a Surge in Online Deliveries

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Online delivery service is very popular and a convenient way for customers to receive items right at their doorstep but to what extent? Will this continue to keep the streets busy and congested.

Read the article to know what the growth of online shopping looks like on the ground in America’s largest cities.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42245367

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about some problems associated with growing deliveries brought about by skyrocketing online shopping.
  2. What can be done to address these issues?
  3. Do you think it is the same problem in the city where you live in? Why is this so?
  4. How do you feel about online shopping deliveries overall?
  5. How important is online shopping for you?

What to Expect at the World’s Biggest Tech Show

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever been to a smart city before? Can you imagine living in a city where almost everything is operated by AI and technology?

In this year’s biggest tech show, there will be variety of advanced gadgets that you can find from TV to cars. It is expected to draw more than 170,000 people and there will be 4,000 exhibitors.

If you are curious like me, let’s read the full article below and discuss it later.

https://www.voanews.com/a/ces-las-vegas/4199977.html

Discussion:
1. What are your thoughts on the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas?

2. Which of the technologies featured in the article are you most excited about? Why?

3. Why do you think voice-controlled devices are becoming increasingly popular?

4. Would you like to be able to “order around” your household appliances? Why? Why not?

5. How do you feel about the prospect of “smartening up entire cities”?

Light Pollution

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As far as history goes, night time has always been associated with darkness. Nowadays, it hasn’t been the case anymore.

We’re lighting the world up at an alarming rate and we don’t know it.

Watch the video about increasing light pollution.

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/world/2017/11/22/were-lighting-up-earth-alarming-rate/107945254/

Discussion Questions:

1. What was mentioned about Spain’s radiance in the video?
2. What do you know about light pollution?
3. What are the pros and cons of overly brightly-lit towns/cities?
4. Talk about light pollution in your city.
5. What can you do to reduce light pollution?

Open Banking

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We have been so used to our financial information being kept strictly confidential by our banks. In the UK, a competition watchdog is lobbying for open banking.

Read more on it and be in the know about what it is, how it will work and other relevant information regarding secured financial info sharing among firms.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42253051

Discussion Questions:

1. What is Open Banking?
2. How do you feel about this news?
3. In what ways is this a positive change?
4. What things are you worried about?
5. How would people take such change in your country?

Favoritism in the Workplace

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Favoritism is a sign of bad management practice, which leads to disfavored employees feeling unmotivated. No law averts favoritism, however, if discrimination, harassment, or retaliation stems from it, then it can be a form of illegal behavior. Read the article to get a deeper understanding of when favoritism goes beyond standards of behavior.

https://www.employmentlawfirms.com/resources/employment/discrimination/laws-preventing-favoritism-in-the-workplace

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the negative effects of favoritism in the workplace?
  2. Cite any positive effects of workplace favoritism.
  3. Have you ever seen playing favorites exists in any place you’ve worked in? Talk about it in more details.
  4. Share your experience about you being favored and/or disfavored by a superior or colleague.
  5. Who is your favorite colleague and why?

Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Doping means to administer drugs, known as performing-enhancement drugs (PED), to an animal or athlete in order to inhibit or enhance sporting performance. There are numerous reports of the use of PEDs in various sporting events, which led to banning of the condemned players.

Let us take a look at these incidents.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/06/us/performance-enhancing-drugs-in-sports-fast-facts/index.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some examples of performance-enhancing drugs (PED) and their effects?

2. What is your opinion about the use of PEDs?

3. Who is your favorite athlete? What would you do if s/he were found and convicted of doping?

4. Should the use of PEDs be allowed to a sick athlete who would need to perform in one sporting event? Why or why not?

‘Whitewashing’ in Hollywood

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Whitewashing refers to casting white actors as characters who are non-white or of indeterminate race. There are a couple of movies and TV shows in Hollywood that have had their casting criticized as whitewashing. Critics of this practice claim that this is a form downplaying other races. What do you think of whitewashing?

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/breakfast-at-tiffany-hellboy-hollywood-whitewashing-a7932581.html

Discussion questions:

1. Cite an example of whitewashing in movies or TV that you have watched.

2. What do you guess could be the possible problems whitewashing can cause?

3. If you were a white actor and were chosen to play a non-white character role, would you take it?