phone english blogB1 – Intermediate
Fear is an emotion observed by living things particularly among humans and animals. Fear may take place in response to a certain stimulus or that provokes response.
Find out what some people are afraid of:
Discussion Questions:
1. What is your greatest fear?
2. How do you usually respond to fear? Can you think of good ways to handle fear?
3. Do you think psychiatric intervention is necessary to address issues concerning fear?
4. Share some of your scary experiences.
B1 – Intermediate
In most countries the official retirement age is 60. For footballers they retire much earlier than other athletes. For some people retirement is a financial decision but for others it may not be reason enough.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you consider retirement as a financial decision?
2. What are the benefits that retirees in Spain get?
3. How would you spend your time as a retiree?
B1 – Intermediate
Jealousy is an emotion which is often comprised of negative thoughts, possessiveness, anxiety and fear. It is also often referred to by people as ” green-eyed monster”.
Discuss:
1. Have you ever been jealous? How do you manage such emotion?
2. Is being jealous okay? When is it wrong to be jealous?
3. Would you consider yourself to be an emotional person?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
About 27 percent of youngsters is deemed ineligible due to obesity and overweight. According to Mission: Readiness Report, young Americans are “too fat to fight”.
Discover some reasons that are causing this problem and its impact military enlistment.
https://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/20/military.fat.fight/index.html
Discussion Questions:
B1 – Intermediate
A restaurant owner in Mexico is offering tacos topped with insects. He has wild items added to his menu such as scorpions and spiders too.
Discuss:
1. What exotic kinds of food do you know or have tried?
2. Are there exotic foods in Spain?
3. For you, is it okay to use and put insects in our food? Why or why not?
B2 – Upper intermediate
Neurons work as transmitter of information in the brain but when the process is disturbed they lose the connection between brain cells and can cause memory loss. Scientists have successfully done a process called Electroconvulsive Therapy to delete specific memory.
Find out how this therapy works and how it helps people with post- traumatic stress disorder.
Click on the title to listen to the report: Deleting Memories: Audio
Click on the title to read the text: Deleting Memories: Text
Discuss:
1. Do you have a memory that you would like to forget?
2. Is deleting a specific memory a helpful way treat depression?
3. How do you deal with traumatic memory and depression?
B1 – Intermediate
A footage shows native people emerge from the Amazon rain forest and make contact with the outside world. Brazilian experts said the indigenous people likely crossed the border from Peru facing pressure from illegal logging and drug trafficking at home.
http://www.newsinlevels.com/products/people-from-a-rainforest-level-3/
Discussion Questions:
1. Is drug trafficking happening in Spain? How about illegal logging?
2. Have you ever taken a trip to exotic places?
3. Are there still places in your country that are still “untouched” by civilization?
B1 – Intermediate
Different studies were conducted on how behavior among children and teenagers are affected by playing video games. A study in Oxford University found that playing video games for less than an hour a day is good. On the other hand, playing violent video games influence teenagers to be more aggressive.
Read the article to know more about the possible benefits and consequences of vieo games on children.
Discuss:
1. Do you play video games?
2. Does it affect your way of thinking and behaviour?
3. Do you agree with idea suggested in the article?
4. Would you allow your children to play video games? If yes, what set of rules would you impose?
A2 – Elementary
Most people drink coffee or tea to jump-start their day. It works as stimulant. It gives them energy and keeps them awake. But, according to the study conducted by Mike Yassa, together with the University of California in Irvine, caffeine also helps improve long term memory.
Discuss:
1. Are you a coffee or tea drinker?
2. How does caffeine affect you in a daily basis?
3. What is the best coffee for you?
B1 – Intermediate
Economic development is causing the extinction of some languages, according to some scientists. A study has found that minority languages in the most developed parts of the world are most at threat.
Listen to the podcast to know more about the extinction of certain languages.
Discussion Questions: