Tag: First Certificate FCE

Passion or Duty

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We are frequently faced with what appears to be a very difficult decision when determining what to do with our lives: the passionate route vs. the safe one, but which is best for us in the long run?

Watch the video about the choice between passion and duty.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are you passionate about? Would you give up your current job to pursue it? Why or why not?
  2. Share your thoughts on this statement, “A decade of mixed results on a passion project is inherently less onerous than unspectacular returns for a whole career in a hateful field”.
  3. Do you tend to go the passionate route or the safe one?
  4. What is your opinion about pursuing your passion? How about staying on a safe route?

Why It Might Be Your Body, Not Your Mind

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One of the difficulties of attempting to comprehend our minds is that, sometimes, we have to admit that what goes through them may have more to do with our bodies than the actual functioning of our brains.

Watch the video about the workings of our minds.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you ever find yourself suddenly becoming pessimistic? What normally triggers this and how do you overcome these thoughts?
  2. How do you calm yourself when you’re agitated or having negative thoughts?
  3. What physical processes typically have an impact on how you think?
  4. What is one thing you have learned from this video?

More Young Adults are Renting Next Door to Retired Folks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A trend called intergenerational roommates is making a buzz in America. The idea is to arrange affordable accommodation for a young person on someone else’s property. The property owner is at least one generation older than the renter.

This living arrangement is beneficial for both parties. The older person will have someone to help around the house, while the younger one will only have to spend at least $700 a month in a tier one city like Boston.

Read the entire article in this link.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/more-and-more-young-adults-are-renting-alongside-retirement-age-with-intergenerational-benefits/

Discussion Questions:

1. The article mentions the growing isolation among the elderly in the US. Considering this factor, discuss how the trend of intergenerational roommates helps improve the situation.

2. Do you get along well with people from the older generations? Why or why not?

3. How is your relationship with people from younger generations?

4. What can younger people learn from the older generation and vice versa?

5. Do you see any drawbacks in having intergenerational roommates? If so, what are they?

Conjoined Twins Separated with the Help of Virtual Reality

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Surgeries are already complex as they are. Medical advances keep getting more and more developed to help patients get the best treatment possible.

Though it may sound a lot like a scene from a sci-fi film, medicine and technology have gone hand-in-hand in successfully providing the most effective and efficient procedures to treat patients, even those with the most complex of conditions.

Read the article about the Brazilian conjoined twins who have been separated all thanks to virtual reality.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62378452

Discussion Questions:

  1. Surgeon Noor ul Owase Jeelani described the procedure as “space-age stuff”. Do you agree/disagree with him and why?
  2. What are your thoughts on this surgery?
  3. How would you feel going through medical procedures using technologies like the VR?
  4. Where else can VR be useful?
  5. Describe the most complex medical procedure you’ve ever gone through.

The Movement that Inspired the Holocaust

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Early advocates of Eugenics considered mental illness, physical disabilities, poverty, and criminal behavior as inherited traits. Their efforts to control human population to breed out undesirable traits inspired this scientific movement.

Let’s watch the video and know more about the theory of Eugenics.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is Eugenics and how did this movement begin?
  2. What were its members’ ideal genetic standards? What did they consider as undesirable human traits?
  3. What series of events around the globe resulted from this idea of Eugenics?
  4. What is your take on the idea of Eugenics? Do you think there is one single set of desirable human traits?
  5. What is your opinion on this, “Eugenicists worldwide believed that they could perfect human beings and eliminate so-called social ills through genetics and heredity.”?

Blue Collar Workers

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The student loan debt crisis is a social issue in the US. That’s why some students choose not to go to college. They want to avoid the consequences of being in debt. It includes having a bad credit score, the inability to buy a house or car, and accepting any available jobs regardless of the compensation and benefits. They take jobs indiscriminately because they want to start paying their student loans.

As a result, some young people tend to choose the alternative. They believe it is a better option to take an apprenticeship program, learn skills, and become a blue-collar worker.

Watch the video and get to know Michael Lauther, a man who refuses to go to college and is convinced that being a blue-collar worker is the best decision.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your takeaways from what’s being discussed in this video?
  2. The video highlights the advantages of being a blue-collar worker. Do you know any other benefits?
  3. What do people in your country think about blue-collar jobs?
  4. Can you talk about some high-paying blue-collar jobs?
  5. Would you like to be a white-collar or a blue-collar worker? And why?

The Chinese Exclusion Act

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In the late 1800’s, many Americans held Chinese workers responsible for driving down wages and economic woes. This antagonism towards Chinese workers resulted to violence by the people and acts of injustices perpetrated by the government.

Let’s watch the video and learn more about the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your thoughts on what you’ve learned from this video.
  2. What was the Chinese Exclusion Act and why was it created?Who were exempted from this act?
  3. Who was Chae Chan Ping and what happened to him upon his return to San Francisco?
  4. What is the Scott Act? Why did the U.S. Supreme court rule against Ping’s argument?
  5. What are recently passed immigration laws in your country? Do you find them reasonable?

A Unique Village Has No Locks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The second tier in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is safety. It includes having a roof over our heads so that we don’t need to sleep out on the street. Shelters give people a sense of protection during sleeping hours. They also serve as a safe place for our belongings that we cannot take with us when we leave for work or school. But what if these homes have no locks? Does it mean outsiders can just come and go? Are these homes still conducive to people’s well-being?

Watch this fascinating video to discover and explore a unique village in India.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on this? How would you feel about leaving your house unlocked when you go out?
  2. In your understanding, how does tradition influence people’s decision not to have doors and locks in their homes?
  3. Is safety one of your top priorities? Explain why.
  4. Describe the safety measures you take in your own home.
  5. Describe your neighborhood and explain the safety practices in the community.

Sam Walton Biography

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We have all heard of stories featuring different inspiring people from all kinds of industries. Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, is one of them. Sam encountered failures and challenges in his personal life, work, and business, but he never gave up.

Learn more about Sam Walton by watching the animated video below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Sam Walton tried many jobs from a young age until he opened his first Walmart store. How do you think his experiences helped him succeed?
  2. What are some ways a person can take to escape poverty?
  3. Talk about one of your favorite success stories. Tell the person’s name, his profession, and journey to success.

Obesity: The Little Things

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is the little things that make up for weight gains. For instance, eating sugary desserts after a meal seems harmless, but when done regularly, it can boost the calorie level in the body. Choosing soda can make you drink less water, plus it has a lot of sugar, too. As a result, you get dehydrated and your body can interpret it as hunger. All of these can lead to weight gain, or worst, obesity.

Watch the video about obesity, and see if you are guilty of those bad habits.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can you relate to any of the things mentioned in the video?
  2. Does your weight goes up and down quickly depending on your food consumption?
  3. How conscious are you about your weight?
  4. What tips do you have relative to maintaining a healthy weight?