Tag: First Certificate FCE

Van Gogh – Challenging the ‘Tortured Genius’ Myth

B2 – Upper Intermediate

People often say that artistic talent and mental disorders go hand in hand. But is it really so?

Have you ever seen any of Van Gogh’s works? Have you ever thought that only a crazy man could create such paintings?

Watch the video to figure out if there is a connection between insanity and genius.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your thoughts on what’s discussed in this video.
  2. How did Van Gogh’s relocation to the town of Arles affect his inspiration?
  3. What are your thoughts on the treatments available to mental patients in the 1890s?
  4. Some people believe that Van Gogh’s paintings are brilliant because of his mental illness. What is the authors’ opinion on that? Do you share their view?
  5. What is your reaction to Van Gogh’s statement that “Work distracts me infinitely better than anything else. And if I could once really throw myself into it with all my energy, that might possibly be the best remedy.”

Toilet Paper Made from Ancient Forests

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says that our choice of toilet paper has an impact on climate change. One example is the use of virgin wood pulp that drives deforestation in Canada’s boreal forest, which is one of the most ecologically important forests in the world.

Read the article to know more about it and be able to answer the questions below.

https://www.treehugger.com/is-your-favorite-toilet-paper-made-from-ancient-forests-5069744

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you feel after reading the article?
  2. How important is toilet paper for you? How often do you shop for it?
  3. What qualities do you look for when purchasing toilet papers?
  4. Do you prefer to purchase one brand of toilet paper or do you try/buy different brands? Why is that?
  5. What are some ways to protect and preserve our forests?

Why Parrots Can Talk Like Humans

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There are many types of birds that exist in our world and one of them are parrots. They are some of the most famous birds to ever exist. There are many reasons as to why this is the case, but the most significant is the fact that parrots can speak the human language.

Monkeys and humans are very similar creatures with very similar physical features. However, monkeys cannot speak the human language, so why and how can a bird, more specifically, parrots speak like us?

To find out more, let us watch this video.

Discussion Questions:

  1. If other birds were to start using their tongue while speaking, do you think they would be able to speak the human language as well?
  2. Do you think that parrots could imitate other animals as well as they speak human language?
  3. In the future, do you think we could fully teach parrots our language? How about other animals?
  4. What are your thoughts on animals having the capability to perform human-like skills?
  5. Would you like to own a talking pet/animal? Why or why not?

Should We Ban Hate Speech

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Each person has their own opinion and often finds it necessary to share it with other people. However, this opinion is not always positive and tolerant, and often it can easily become hate speech. What does it mean? Should we always just be silent about certain matters?

Watch and get acquainted with censoring hate speech.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, should hate speech be censored? Support your stand.
  2. How can a person’s inner state be related to their disposition to hate speech?
  3. Why is it important to monitor the mental health of society while studying the phenomenon of hate speech?
  4. Is it possible to create organizations that work with victims affected by hate speech?
  5. How do social networks and the Internet, in general, affect the spread of hate speech?

Home Repairs

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We all want to live in a comfortable home. It could be the whole apartment to yourself or a shared one. That is why people who are looking for a house to live in have many factors to consider before deciding to move in. As for shared apartment, because of the limited space, people want it to be at least a clean and habitable one with no damage and with the apartment essentials.

Let’s listen to the audio and know more about Dave’s apartment and his search for a new housemate.

Home Repairs

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is Dave looking for a roommate? What are the problems in Dave’s house?
  2. If you were Randall, would you move in with Dave given all the problems he has in his house?
  3. What home repairs have you done before? What one thing would you change about the place where you live now?
  4. Is it better to know how to do home repairs or to just hire someone to do it for you? Explain your stand.
  5. In your neighborhood, which home repairs require a permit? Which ones do not?
  6. Have you ever lived with a roommate/roommates? What do you think about living with other people you don’t necessarily know?

Moving Company

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Moving to a new house can be a very daunting task. It requires a lot of time and effort especially with packing and unpacking your stuff at home. Luckily, there are professional movers who can do this task for you at a price.

Let’s listen to the audio and know more about Mark’s moving experience.

Moving Company

Discussion Questions:

  1. Who is Mark and where is he from? What tasks did the moving company do for him? What unfortunate event happened during his move? How did it end?
  2. What are the pros and cons of hiring moving services?
  3. Have you moved to a different house/apartment before?
  4. If you are moving, would you prefer to hire movers or do everything on your own? Explain.
  5. What do you know about movers or moving companies? Are there a lot in your country?

Medical Advice

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Accidents happen all the time. When they do, it is best to know what first aid you can do to lessen the pain or damage it has caused but most importantly, you need to seek medical advice just to be sure.

Let’s listen to the audio and find out what happened to Ronald and how he made his medical appointment.

Medical Advice

Discussion Questions:

  1. Who is Ronald calling to and why is he calling? Describe what happened to him in this accident. Why was he asked to come to the doctor’s office immediately?
  2. Have you or anyone close to you had a medical emergency before What happened? What did you do?
  3. Why is it important to know first aid? Do you know anything about giving someone first aid?
  4. How do you usually set a medical appointment? How do you choose your doctor?
  5. What is the most important/useful medical advice that has ever been given to you by your GP?

Learning a New Job

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Choosing a degree or getting into a university can be scary and challenging for young people. This is a big decision that affects one’s future. For some, the family’s financial situation is a huge factor.

However, apprenticeships are a good option for choosing a path that you want to take. It provides hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the field.

Watch the video about this woman’s experience with apprenticeship and how it has given her a good working opportunity.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is an apprenticeship as effective as a college education? Please explain.
2. Should apprenticeship be more available? Why or why not?
3. What are the pros and cons of apprenticeship?
4. Was an apprenticeship something you considered? Why or why not?
5. What industries offer apprenticeship programs?
6. What are your experiences in learning a new task or skill in your current work?
7. What are your thoughts on career changes?
8. What were your top 3 career choices as a teen?
9. Were/Are you interested in working abroad? Why or why not?

Wife Learns Husband Is a Woman

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There is an Indonesian woman who married a man that she met through a dating app. Ten months into the marriage, she discovered that her ‘husband’ is actually a woman even though they have been intimate several times. The ‘husband’ also claimed that they were a doctor but that was also a lie. Now, the wife is suing her ‘husband’ in court for falsifying their qualifications as a doctor but not about their gender.

Let’s read the article below to learn more about the wife who found out that her ‘husband’ is a woman.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/wife-22-learns-husband-woman-10-months-marriage-intimate/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your initial reaction to this story?
  2. Do you think that what the ‘husband’ did should be punished?
  3. What would you do if your were in the wife’s situation?
  4. What was the biggest lie you’ve told in your life?
  5. What was the biggest lie ever told to you and by who? How did this change things between you and this person/these people?
  6. What are the common reasons married couples break up?

Getting Over a Lingering Grudge

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Who hasn’t been wounded by someone else’s gestures or words? Maybe you were routinely reprimanded by your family at a young age, a teammate hijacked a project, or partner had been unfaithful to you. Perhaps you’ve been through a horrific event, as well as being emotionally and psychologically mistreated by close relatives. And yes, these experiences do leave scars.

While vengeance may feel more satisfying, forgiving someone who has wronged us is undoubtedly a great advantage to us. But can we easuly do so? How do we cultivate forgiving? Is it possible to forgive and forget?

To find out more on how you can ever get over lingering grudges, let’s take a moment to read the full article.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211214-can-you-ever-get-over-a-lingering-grudge

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you experienced holding a grudge against someone for a long time? What was the situation? How did you feel? How did you get over it?
  2. How do you deal with someone who is constantly rubbing you up the wrong way?
  3. What are the consequences of holding grudges?
  4. Is forgiveness a basic requirement for reconciliation? Explain.
  5. Can you think of some techniques to enhance the ability to forgive?
  6. “Forcing forgiveness isn’t the answer.” What are your thoughts on this?