Tag: People and Human Interest

Car Accidents

B2 – Upper Intermediate

If you have been driving for awhile, you’ve probably already realized that not everyone drives well, although, most people think they do. Some drivers change lanes without paying much attention, some drive too fast, others drive too closely to other vehicles on the road and some make sudden turns causing road accidents.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript on car accidents.

Car Accidents

Discussion Questions:

  1. What happened to Katie? How did it happen?
  2. What’s wrong with the car? How did this accident affect Katie’s plans for the weekend?
  3. What solution does the mother provide?
  4. Have you ever been in or witnessed a car accident before?
  5. What driving safety measures do you always follow?

Carnival Scam Science

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A carnival is a fun place where people have fun and play games but have you ever played any carnival games before? Have you ever experienced winning and losing those games?

We all have probably heard of carnival games being scams. The question is, how are they ripping us off?

Do they glue bottles so we can’t knock them down, do they make it impossible to land a shot on a net, or do they do something subtle so they make a lot of money?

To understand this, take a look at this video.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you actually think carnival games are a scam? Explain your stand.
  2. Do you agree with the points made in the video? Yes or no? Explain your opinion.
  3. What are the things that this video taught you about carnivals games and the science behind them?
  4. Do you think you have higher probability of winning a prize at carnival games after watching this video?
  5. Talk about any of your fond/unforgettable memories at carnivals.

Video Games Are Good for You

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Research has shown that more people are playing video games since the pandemic. Because of the drastic limitation on outdoor activities, people find themselves stuck at home with nothing much to do. As a result, more people turn to video gaming.

However, video games have always had mixed reception from parents. Some say they make their kids more aggressive and less healthy. On the other hand, some parents say that with moderation, video games are a good way for kids to spend their time at home.

Research shows that video games are actually beneficial in many ways.

Click the link and read the article to learn the benefits of playing video games.

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/upper-intermediate-b2-reading/video-games-are-good-you

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the article, how can games help develop physical skills?
  2. What are the other benefits of playing games that were mentioned in the article?
  3. Do you play video games? Why or why not?
  4. What are some negative effects of playing video games?
  5. Do you think the benefits outweigh the negative effects of playing video games? Why or why not?

No More Pain in Your Life

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Pain and stress are the usual feelings that we encounter whenever we have problems. These are inevitable feelings that humans experience.

Stress is the garbage of the modern life. All of us will suffer from it, but if you don’t cope with it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.

Stress and confusion come from being busy. Sometime the most productive thing to do is to let go and relax.

Watch this video on how to let go of our stress and pains.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How often do you feel stressed or in (emotional) pain?
  2. What are the things that make you stressed? How do you deal with it?
  3. How does the speaker compare the glass of water to a person’s stress or pain? Do you agree with him?
  4. What are your stress relievers?

Three Laughing Monks Story

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Laughter has a lot of benefits not only to our health but also to people around us. There’s a saying that laughter is and will always be, the best therapy.

According to John Cleese, laughter connects us to people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just always howling with laughter.

In this video, you’ll know the story of the three laughing monks and how they connect and affect other people’s lives.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the summary of the story?
  2. Are you a serious person or a jolly one?
  3. What was the funniest moment that ever happened in your life? Can you tell the story?
  4. How often do you meet and laugh with your family and friends?
  5. What usually makes you laugh?

Get Rid of Anger Issues

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is in people’s nature to get angry if there’s something that others did that we don’t really like and didn’t pass our standards. However, each person has different attitudes and way to handle their anger. Some just keep silent and some are try to release their anger by shouting or sometimes even harming others physically.

This video showed a story that somehow will help us know how to handle and get rid our anger issues. Remember that anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the video, what is the law of a garbage truck?
  2. How does the taxi driver compare people to garbage trucks?
  3. How can anger issues be managed?
  4. What are the things that make you angry?
  5. What can you say about the taxi driver’s attitude?

Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It’s hard to start doing what we really want because fear has the power to keep us from our purpose. Only a few people are willing to conquer their mountains and fall first.

Watch this amazing woman explain why it’s necessary to do things especially when they are difficult.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your purpose? What’s holding you from pursuing your purpose?
  2. What’s the scariest decision you’ve ever made?
  3. Who’s the person you admire the most? Why?
  4. How can you live your life differently?

Comfort Food

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When someone is emotionally stressed, they often turn to comfort food. Although most of the food are not good for our health since these are high-calorie, high-fat, salt or sugar food, we still eat it because they are delicious and they give us pleasure.

They also say that these comfort food are sentimental since they remind us of our childhood; that sweet, sweet time when we were taken care of by our parents. In some cultures, comfort food are nuanced since they believe that all food give comfort.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to learn more about comfort food.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-210107

Discussion Questions:

  1. Does eating comfort food take your stress away? Why or why not?
  2. What are your comfort food? How often do you eat them?
  3. What food make you feel a bit nostalgic? Why do you think they bring such emotion for you?
  4. Do you feel guilty after eating too much of your comfort food?
  5. Are there any comfort food that are actually healthy?
  6. What are other things that calm your nerves during your stressful or difficult situations?

Private and Personal Information

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When we wake up in the morning, the first thing most of us do is to check our phones for notifications. Then, we get ourselves ready for the day by eating breakfast. But before taking the first bite, we first take the phone out and snap a photo of our food and post it on social media. This behavior of constantly being on our phones continues throughout the day. This may not be true for everyone, but we see this pattern of behavior around us.

People tend to have the urge to share everything about themselves on social media. This may sound harmless, but we should be very careful about the things we post and share on the internet. We must distinguish which information is okay to share online and which ones should be kept in private.

Let’s watch the video and find out what information may be okay to share online and those that should be kept from all the world to see.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is private information? What is personal information? Give examples of each.
  2. Do you use social media? If yes, how often do you use it? What sort of information do you share on your social media account/s?
  3. What are your thoughts on this statement: “Think before you share.”?
  4. Why is it dangerous to share private information online?
  5. How do you make sure not to jeopardize your private info when navigating through the internet?

Life Expectancy – What Makes the Difference?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Life expectancy is the estimation of the number of years an individual can expect to live. It is the key measure to evaluate population health. Countries differ in life expectancy depending on different factors.

Find out more about life expectancy and the factors affecting its trends.

https://www.english-online.at/geography/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-where-people-live-longer.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the article, what factors affect the life expectancy of a nation? Can you add some more?
  2. What is the life expectancy in your country? Why do you think it’s like that?
  3. Why do you think men and women have different life expectancy?
  4. Do you agree with the saying ‘It’s not how long you live, it’s how well you live.’?
  5. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages when people live for so long?