Tag: First Certificate FCE

Can Fish ‘n’ Chips Survive

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Fish and chips is a classic British fast food. It is the first “carry-out” meal, and it has been a part of British life for well over a century. Will it, however, last much longer? Perhaps only as a luxury for those with the means.

Read the article about fish and chips and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://linguapress.com/intermediate/fish-chips.htm

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of the phrase “quarter of a century”? “In the last quarter of a century, things have changed.”. Make a sentence using the phrase.
  2. What does “up-market” mean in this sentence: “Fish and chips, however, will survive as a specialty in pubs and restaurants, and in new up-market fish restaurants.”. Give 1 synonym and make a sentence.
  3. What does the phrase “spring up” mean? “Fish and chip shops were springing up all over the country.”. Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on how some traditional food become obsolete or forgotten or overthrown by other types of food?
  2. What are some traditional dishes that are important to your culture?
  3. How does the introduction of cuisine from another culture impact the culinary culture of a country?
  4. How have your food choices changed as you have assimilated into a different culture?

Filter Bubbles Isolate You

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One could assume that when you visit a website, you’re getting the same stuff as everyone else. However, algorithms practically everywhere you go online keep note of the links you frequently engage on. These algorithms will continue to display your stuff based on what they believe you will enjoy until they are only presenting you with the material you are likely to consume. This procedure may result in the formation of a filter bubble.

Watch the video on how filter bubbles isolate you.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “curate” mean? “When you first think about algorithms personalizing and curating your online experience, it can sound like a good thing.” Give 2 synonyms.
  2. What is the meaning of the word “coin” in this sentence: “This is a term coined by Eli Pariser.”? Give 1 synonym and use it in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of “definitive”? “There is no definitive solution.”. Give 2 synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is awareness of filter bubbles so critical?
  2. What strategies could you use to pop your filter bubble?
  3. What is the significance of filter bubbles?
  4. How does the filter bubble impact your life?
  5. How can we deal with algorithms?

New York’s Water System Is Complex

B2 – Upper Intermediate

While nature provides water, many of us depend on a sophisticated system of pipelines, pumps, and other equipment. An industrialized society depends on the services that a water supply system offers, including the delivery of water from sources to users. The economic health, security, and social cohesion of the communities are all closely related to water supply systems.

Watch the video about and uncover the secrets of New York’s complex water system.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “sizeable” mean in this sentence? “The water shortage is mostly due to lack of sizeable supply of fresh water.” Give 2 synonyms of the word.
  2. What does the term“tidal estuary” mean? “The East River is a tidal estuary.”. Make your own sentence using the term.
  3. In the sentence, “Two of the world’s longest and largest aqueducts were built to accomplish this.”, what does “aqueducts” mean?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is the water supply abundant in your country?
  2. Where does your city get its water from?
  3. Are there laws regulating the usage of water in your country?
  4. Do you worry about the future availability of water?
  5. What do you think will happen if the water supply in your country or city gets cut off?

Money Traditions from Around the World

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As they say, money is the fuel that keeps the world turning. A country’s cultural beliefs are frequently mirrored in how they view its currency because money is such an integral element of that nation’s identity. But how much do we really know about global beliefs, customs, and superstitions around money?

Watch the video about money customs from all over the world.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “tight-knit” mean? Most of these customs involve generosity within a family or tight-knit community. Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does the idiom “pay it forward” mean? “If someone had a good day, they can pay it forward with an anonymous free coffee to an unknown person.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does the word “sneak” mean in this sentence, “The elf sneaks in to take the tooth and leaves money behind.”? Give 2 synonyms of the word.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What unique money traditions do you have in your country?
  2. Which of the traditions from the video is practiced similarly in your country?
  3. Do you know of any superstitions involving money?
  4. How important is money to you?

The Difference between Strong and Weak AI

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is safe to say that advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have made our lives easier today. As it becomes an integral part of our lives more and more, we stand at the cusp of realizing the true power of AI technology.

Read the article and understand the key differences between a strong AI and a weak AI.

https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/strong-ai-weak-ai

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “threshold“, “As artificial intelligence continues to grow more advanced, the threshold of what can be considered true intelligence continues to get more complicated to define.”. Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. Define “settle” here, “Until then, we will have to settle for the type of artificial intelligence that exists today: weak AI, which operates under far more constraints and limitations than even the most basic human intelligence in order to perfect very specific tasks.” Use ‘settle’ in your own sentence in this context. Give 2 other definitions of this word.
  3. What does “to far exceed someone/something” mean, “And it is setting a foundation for AI’s potential to not only mimic and match human intelligence, but far exceed it.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the difference between weak, general, and super AI?
  2. In which sectors has AI been widely used?
  3. What benefits do the industries described in the video get when AI is used?
  4. Share your thoughts on this statement, “People have no idea how much of their lives is actually governed by weak AI, or specialized AI.”.
  5. For you, what does it mean to be intelligent?

Strengths and Weaknesses

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Imagine being asked about your strengths and weaknesses at a job interview. What would you say?

Read the article and find out some tips on how to talk about strengths and weaknesses at a job interview.

https://www.betterteam.com/strengths-and-weaknesses

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “frame” here, “Use the job description to frame your answer.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does “hard skill” mean, “Your weaknesses can include a hard skill set out in the job description, provided that you emphasize your desire to acquire this skill through a course or program.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. Define “note” here, “I struggle with negative criticism and can become obsessed with perfecting my work after receiving notes from a supervisor.” Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What should you consider when listing your weaknesses?
  2. Can your weakness affect your hiring? How can you avoid this?
  3. What are some examples of weaknesses that you can mention during an interview depending on the job profile?
  4. What should you consider when listing your strengths?
  5. What are some examples of strengths that you can mention during an interview?

Companies Spend in Research and Development

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The role of the Research and Development (R&D) department is to keep a business competitive by researching the market and the customer needs and developing new and improved products and services to fit these needs.

Read the article to know more about how businesses gather knowledge to create new products or discover new ways to improve their existing products.

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/which-companies-spend-the-most-in-research-and-development-rd-2021-06-21

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “line item” here, “Amazon is among the top R&D spenders even though its financial statements do not mention R&D as a separate line item.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. Define “set forth” here, “The company’s R&D expenses continue to be set forth within “technology and content” in its financial statements.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does “world leader” mean here, “However, in terms of cumulative patent holdings, Samsung is the world leader with 80,577 active patent families.” Use the word withstand in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How useful is R&D for a business?
  2. Do you have an R&D department in your company? What does it do?
  3. “Our business environment changes rapidly and needs long-term investment. We will not hesitate to place major bets on promising new opportunities. We will not shy away from high-risk, high-reward projects because of short-term earnings pressure.” Do you agree with this statement? Explain.
  4. What are some examples of investment risks?
  5. In your opinion, which is the better approach: Working quickly to develop a good solution or taking more time to craft an excellent solution? Elaborate.

Spanish Actress’ Surrogate Baby Is Her Late Son’s

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When celebrities announce that they’ve had a baby via surrogacy, it doesn’t shock the world that much anymore.

But Spanish TV star Ana Obregón’s revelation of having a surrogate baby using his late son’s sperm did. Legally, his makes her the baby’s mother. But biologically, she is the grandmother.

Read the article about Spanish TV actress Ana Obregón’s surrogate baby who was fathered by her deceased son.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65186636

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “bear”here, “While ¡Hola! magazine’s front page carried a picture of the TV actress and the new baby, another Spanish magazine, Lecturas, featured the surrogate mother who bore Ana Sandra.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does “rule out” mean, “She refuses to rule out providing her granddaughter with a brother or sister.”? Give a similar word or phrase and use ‘rule out’ in your own sentence.
  3. What does ”to take something upon oneself” mean, “Ana Obregón has taken it upon herself to interpret her dead son’s wishes and that is going too far.”? Give a similar word or phrase and use ‘to take something upon oneself’ in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of Obregón’s saying she did this to fulfill his dying son’s final wish? Do you think there is an ethical issue here? Explain.
  2. Share your thoughts on this: “She (Obregón) refuses to rule out providing her granddaughter with a brother or sister.” 
  3. Legally the actress is the baby’s mother, even if she is biologically her grandmother. Any thoughts on this?
  4. What are your thoughts on surrogacy being illegal in Spain?
  5. In general, what is your opinion about surrogacy?

The Intertwined Lives of Sister Best Friends

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The connection between true friends is a precious gift that transcends time and space. This attachment is even stronger for some when it comes to sisterhood. Sister best friends have special and compelling ties that is beyond description. They grow up around each other, share experiences and secrets, and ultimately, become deeply intertwined in each other’s lives.

The lives of sisters who are close often overlap, creating a strong alliance that may be their greatest significant link, though it is not without obstacles and conflicts.

For a more comprehensive understanding about the unbreakable connection between sister best friends, click on the link.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221121-the-intertwined-lives-of-sister-best-friends

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “life in parallel” mean in the sentence, “As twin flames, we feel each other’s lives and have always experienced life in parallel.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does “biggest cheerleaders” mean, “We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders and as the eldest, I will always be fiercely protective of Lauren.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  3. What does “cause friction” mean in the sentence, “Intense bonds can impact other friendships and cause friction in – or even end – romantic relationships.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What kind of difficult situation can arise when sisters weave their lives closely together?
  2. What advantages and drawbacks can one experience from having a strong sisterly bond?
  3. Can you give examples of how sisters maintain their own distinct identities while still being closely interconnected?
  4. Is it possible for the bond between sisters to change over time? If yes, in what ways?
  5. How significant is the bond you share with your family members? Please share.

Remote Work a Liability

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For small business owners, allowing staff to work from home offers several advantages. Among them include fostering employee satisfaction and lowering rent costs for offices. Despite the buzz around telecommuting, there are still possible risks to be aware of.

Watch the video on a discussion about how some companies think the remote working is a liability.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “preempt” mean? “I don’t want to preempt anything I would say to the team. So, he wouldn’t tell me what the timeline is.” Give 2 synonyms and use ‘preempt’ in your own sentence.
  2. What does “crank up” mean? “Come summer, if folks want to be working from home on Fridays, they really need to crank up the effort.” Give 2 synonyms and use ‘crank up’ in your own sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of “buzzword“? “The latest buzzword in international travel is “ecotourism”.” Kindly use the word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of working from home? Is remote working a liability or not? Explain.
  2. What are the pros and cons of remote working for companies?
  3. What do companies in your country think of remote work?
  4. How do you think company managers in your country would feel about workers having the flexibility to combine weeks of proper vacation and working remotely during summertime?
  5. What do you think about being able to choose to come in and out of work at time that best suits an employee during their workday? Cite the advantages and troubles with this kind of flexibility in worker schedules.