Tag: First Certificate FCE

Metaverse to Affect the Future of Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Technology has come a long way compared to when it was first invented, and it keeps improving and making our lives easier and more convenient with every passing year. In recent years, a concept in technology called “the metaverse” became popular and is said to be people’s future workspace.

Read the article to learn how metaverse could change the future of work.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/tip/How-will-the-metaverse-affect-the-future-of-work

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “onboarding” mean? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “overlay” mean? Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “galvanize” mean? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the metaverse?
  2. What is your opinion on the metaverse workplace?
  3. Do you think there are more advantages to it than disadvantages? Explain your point.
  4. How can the metaverse workplace be beneficial to employees and businesses alike?

Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A new year brings hope that we can leave the previous behind and look forward to a better one. It is also right around this time when we take the chance to also make some New Year’s resolutions.

However, be careful for this glimmer of hope not to die down along the way.

Read the article to know more on how to keep your New Year’s resolutions.

https://www.voanews.com/a/an-annual-battle-keeping-new-year-s-resolutions-/6895882.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “set someone up for something” mean? “That feeling of hope can dissipate amid day-to-day stressors but there are ways to set goals without feeling like you’re setting yourself up for failure.” Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “follow through” mean? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. Give 1-2 synonyms of “endpoint”. Use them in your own sentences. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why might be reasons people make New Year’s resolutions? Do you make them yourself? Why or why not?
  2. Do you agree or disagree on this, “People should also reflect on their progress to see how far they’ve come rather than only focusing on the endpoint.”? Explain your point.
  3. Share your thoughts on this, “if people know why they’ve set goals, they’re more likely to reach them.”
  4. What are some things you want to change this year and why is it that you want to make said changes?
  5. How can one make sure that they follow through on their goals?

Europe Feels the Winter Heat

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Looks like winter didn’t come as expected this time around. In some European countries, it didn’t snow as much as the usual. This could be a preview on how winters are going to be like in the years to come. This change could be brought about by the continuous rise in the temperatures around the world. 

The consequences of this could extend not only all through out the tourism industry.

Read the article to know more about how Europe felt a warmer winter this time.

https://www.voanews.com/a/snow-is-a-no-show-as-europe-feels-the-winter-heat-/6909079.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “blanket” mean in this sentence, “Mild weather has left many regions of Europe that would normally be blanketed in snow at this time of year bare, and winter sports resorts are fearing for the future.”? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “grapple with” mean? “In the Swiss village of Adelboden, organizers of Saturday’s ski World Cup race grappled with above-freezing temperatures to ensure athletes could compete in the popular event while spectators basked in the blazing sunshine.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “soar” mean? “Michael Hayboeck of Austria soars through the air at the fourth stage of 71th Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria, Jan. 6, 2023.” Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news? How was the last winter in your country like? Talk about some changes in the the climate that you noticed.
  2. How does this change in the winter weather impact Europe?
  3. How is tourism like in your country in winter?
  4. Do you like traveling in winter? Why or why not?

Croatia Switches to Euro

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Croatia is one of the most ideal tourist destinations in Europe, with more than a thousand islands and islets. With the country’s recent entry to Eurozone, it has adopted euro as its currency. It is a good news for tourists and local people alike when it comes to avoiding the hassles of currency exchange.

Let’s read the article and know more details about the newest member of the European Union.

https://www.voanews.com/a/croatia-switches-to-euro-enters-borderless-europe-club-/6899542.html

Vocabulary:

  1. What does “milestone” mean? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “demise” mean? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “bid farewell” mean in this sentence, “At midnight local time (2300 GMT Saturday) the Balkan nation bid farewell to its kuna currency and became the 20th member of the eurozone.”? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the economic benefits Croatia will gain by entering Europe’s passport-free zone?
  2. How do you think this entry affects other EU countries?
  3. What possible short-term problems could this have on Croatians?

Google To Give People More Power Over Their Personal Data

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In the last two decades, the internet has been a widely used platform for the advertising industry. It reaches large audiences at a much cheaper cost. Brands splash their ads in different websites that are suitable to the user’s precise interests. They use the users’ data to give us the ads that we are looking for.

Let’s read the article and find out more about the new user privacy protection measure when using Google.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/may/19/privacy-by-design-google-to-give-people-more-power-over-their-personal-data

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “pushback” mean? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “opt out” mean? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “watchdog” mean in this sentence, “Just last month the Australian competition watchdog won a court case against Google…”? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What new privacy strategy Google offers? How does it work?
  2. What is your opinion on third party companies purchasing user’s data easily?
  3. What do you think of the possibility of Google monetising future privacy features?

Parents Sever Ties with Their Children

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A parent’s and child’s relationship should be one of mutually beneficial, unbreakable love that endures all ups and down. Regrettably, some parents may find it challenging to keep this bond going. Ultimately, a parent could perhaps decide to leave their roles because they feel they have passed the tipping point. Some parents who choose to cut off contact claim that they do so for their own well-being and security.

But were you aware that some children also constantly try to behave similarly to their parents? Yes, children do estrange themselves from their parents as well. For what reasons?

Follow the link to learn more.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221207-the-parents-who-sever-ties-with-their-children

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “cut off ” mean? Use this word in a sentence.
  2. What does “ re-kindle” mean in this sentence, ”An attempt to rekindle their romance ended just before she died.”? Use this word in a sentence.
  3. What does “ordeal” mean here, “Without the help and understanding of my daughter, I don’t know where I’d be, as this has been a very lonely ordeal,” she says.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do parents lose touch with their kids?
  2. Is it acceptable to detach oneself from kinship? Explain.
  3. Is there even an appropriate time to sever ties with your family? Explain.
  4. Why do children estrange themselves from parents?
  5. What does a toxic parent-child relationship entail?

Social Media Marketing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Social media has its pros and cons, depending on how you use it. You can use it to earn money, communicate with people, build connections, promote a business, or solely just for leisure. With proper use, people and businesses can benefit from it.

Read the article to learn how social media helped a dying business through what some call “accidental influencer” or organic marketing.

https://xsmultimedia.com/2022/06/24/social-media-marketing-the-tropical-hut-invasion/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “organic marketing” mean, “Tropical Hut’s resurgence is a living proof that organic marketing is one of the most effective ways to revive something so good most especially in this time of digital saturation and peak consumerism.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. Explain the concept “word of mouth” in your own words. “People are more drawn into the aesthetically-pleasing ads, but nothing beats the original, word of mouth type of organic [ marketing].” Use this word in a sentence.
  3. What does “buzz” mean, “A lot of people may call it “Accidental Influencer/Marketing”, and others call it “Organic Marketing”—but the revival of the 57-year-old fast food chain shows that Filipinos are here for what is trending, for what is the buzz, and all everything that falls into the right places.“? Use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Question:

  1. Share your thoughts on this, “You can have as many clickbait captions and aesthetic photos as you want, but nothing will ever be as effective as organic marketing coming from the testimony of happy and satisfied customers.”.
  2. Based on the article, how did a certain social media post help revive Tropical Hut?
  3. How can people utilize social media to grow their businesses?
  4. What do you think are other strategies to promote a business on social media?

Factors Driving High Employee Engagement

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Employee engagement shows how enthusiastic and dedicated your staff feels toward what they do. It is an essential factor to a company’s success as it is connected to how satisfied and high the team morale is. Some advantages to having engaged employees are better performance and increased productivity.

Read the article about factors that drive employee engagement.

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/284180/factors-driving-record-high-employee-engagement.aspx

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of the word “engagement” in this context, “Teams with higher engagement are less likely to leave their organization.“? Use it in a sentence.
  2. Explain the phrase “record high” in the sentence, “Engagement levels reached a record high in 2019.”. Use it in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of the idiom “pie-in-the-sky“, “What would the world of work look like if organizations could double the percentage of engaged workers? This isn’t a pie-in-the-sky question — all evidence suggests it is possible.“? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about the factors that drive high employee engagement.
  2. How can companies retain high employee engagement? How does your company?
  3. Share your opinion on this, “Changes in employee engagement are best attributed to changes in how organizations develop employees.“.
  4. What are the impact of high engagement among employees?
  5. Personally, how do you keep the level of enthusiasm and dedication you feel toward your job high?

Prepare for the Next Pandemic

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The COVID-19 cases may have declined significantly in the two years since the pandemic began, but our experiences are still fresh in our minds. We didn’t see that coming and were totally unprepared for it.

There have been a number of outbreaks in recent decades, thus future outbreaks of infectious diseases are regrettably unavoidable. If we are ready for them, we may be able to prevent them from spreading and becoming pandemics.


Read this article to learn how to prepare for the next pandemic.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03362-8

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “inevitable” mean? “Finally, governments must abandon the idea that spread of a respiratory pathogen is inevitable.” Use this word in a sentence.
  2. Based on the context of the sentence, “This necessitates the participation of the private sector alongside governments, given its role in vaccine research, production, and distribution.”, what does the word ‘necessitate’ mean?
  3. Explain the meaning of the word “emerge” in your own words. “It is crucial that we quickly obtain and share the genetic sequences of viruses as they emerge.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think the five ways to prepare for the pandemic in the article are effective? Why or why not?
  2. How else can we prepare for the pandemic?
  3. In your opinion, do you think doing these things would actually prepare us for the next pandemic?
  4. Are you physically, mentally, and financially prepared for future pandemics? How so?
  5. How does your national government prepare for pandemics?

Pros and Cons of Social Media

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Social media is undeniably one of society’s most valuable tools. Almost everyone has social media accounts and some even earn money through them. We can’t deny the fact that it has helped us a lot, especially with getting in touch with our family and friends who are far away from us. However, if not used correctly, it could do people more harm than good.

Learn about the benefits and drawbacks of social media by reading this article.

https://www.lifespan.org/lifespan-living/social-media-good-bad-and-ugly

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “lurk” mean? Use this word in a sentence.
  2. Explain the meaning of “facsimile” in your own words. Use it in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of the word “vulnerable“? Provide some synonyms of this word.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you use social media? If yes, how many hours a day do you spend using it? If not, why?
  2. Do you believe that social media is useful?
  3. How do you think will the world be without social media?
  4. Are social media websites widely used in your country?
  5. What do you think is the greatest benefit of using social media?
  6. In your opinion, what is the worst effect of social media on its users?