Tag: People and Human Interest

How to Wake Up Before 6:00 a.m. Daily

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There’s an English adage that goes “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Assuming this is true and that there truly is a lot to be gained from throwing back the covers at the break of day, then it seems that the majority of us have trouble jump-starting a key habit which could lead to more success.

In this video, one vlogger shares how he cracked the code when it comes to waking up before 6:00 a.m. daily.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you consider yourself an early or late riser?
  2. What are some advantages of waking up early?
  3. What ideas does Matt D’Avella have towards achieving early wakefulness? Which suggestions would you be willing to try?
  4. Do you have any tips of your own to enable one to wake up early?
  5. What are reasons you would normally rise early?

Adulting 101 – Things We Learned the Hard Way

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Growing up, we often hear our parents, especially our mom’s common and loud assertion of a common phrase “when will you grow up?” in moments when you are being mischievous. They are perhaps tired of a kid-like nature which is not responsible enough to even know what they really want in life.

Have you ever thought of a certain point where you know exactly what you want and you are able to meet the mundane demand of independent and professional living? That is an informal description of adulting.

Let’s learn more by watching the video below.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you define adulting?
  2. Can we determine a specific stage or age for maturity?
  3. Why do we have to learn the hard way?
  4. What is the most challenging part of adulting?
  5. What are some things that you learned the hard way?
  6. How would you describe your adult life?

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Some say “two heads are better than one”. This is true in some cases wherein better judgment is reached when an issue is decided from different perspectives. However, there are some instances where having too many people involved bring about disastrous outcomes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/experiment/unit-1/session-3

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does “too many cooks spoil the broth” mean?
  2. Do you agree or disagree with this?
  3. Can you retell the other expressions with similar meaning that were mentioned in the video?
  4. Give a situation you were in where too many cooks spoil the broth.
  5. What are instances where you need more collaborators and those when you don’t?

The Importance of Sports for Children

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Sports help children develop their physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn teamwork, learn to play fair, and improve their self-esteem. However, these are not the only things a child can acquire from playing sports.

Click the link below to learn more about the importance of sports to children:

https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/the-importance-of-sports-for-children/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some benefits of doing sports on kids?
  2. What sports are good for kids and what are those that are dangerous for them and why?
  3. What if your child doesn’t want to do sports, would you force them to do it?
  4. What can you say about this statement: “Sport is not a privilege of wealthy people.”?
  5. Do you agree with the saying, “Start them young”? Why or why not?

The Future of the Human Race

B2 – Upper Intermediate

What do you think will happen to humankind after 12 00,000 years? Are you excited to see the future? Will a new human species arise one day? A lot of interesting and crazy predictions have been made about the future. One of these is from evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry.

Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Oliver Curry studies evolution and the future, and he has an interesting idea about the future of the human race. He suggests that in 100,000 years, humankind will split into two species. In addition, one group will be the haves, and the other group will be the have nots.

We will see some changes in the next 1,000 years. For example, humans will grow to 6-7 feet (182-213 centimeters). Humans will also live for about 120 years. And lastly, there won’t be different races like today. The races will mix to produce people with similar, latte-colored skin.

Unfortunately, there will also be negatives. People will lose social skills and empathy because they will use too much technology. Weak genes will spread and affect our whole species because new medicines will lower the mortality rate. Curry predicts this will happen 10,000 years from now.

Further into the future, in the year 100,000, the healthy will only breed with one another, and so create a beautiful and intelligent group of people. The unhealthy will become short and ugly, and also be less smart. These are the haves and the have nots. In other words, humans will become rulers and slaves.

Source: headsupenglish.com

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about Oliver Curry’s predictions?
  2. What do you think life will be like in the 31st century?
  3. Do you think technology will harm us, as explained in the article?
  4. Do you think the human race will still be here in 100,000 years?
  5. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your future? How about the world’s future?

Dangerous Crossing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Ignoring warning signs might not be the best thing to do when you’re out somewhere. These things are actually there for a very important reason. 

Listen to this audio and hear about the story of a man who in a matter of split seconds would have ended up in a fatal disaster.

Dangerous Crossing – level 3

Discussion Questions:

What was your reaction to this incident?

Talk about a situation when you did not pay attention to warning signs. What happened then and what were the consequences of your actions?

How can people be encouraged to heed warning signs at all times?

Describe some perilous areas in your city or country.

Share situations where you saw people behaving recklessly.

Extreme Homes of Maximalists and Minimalists

Some people choose their lifestyle in extremes: minimalism and maximalism. Minimalism comes from the idea that less is more. It is removing the excess and using only the things you really need. By doing so, important elements stand out more. On the other hand, maximalism is the opposite. It is to collect things like souvenirs and fill every space with interest and variety. It is then the counterpart of minimalism in which “more is more”.

Watch the video below and be able to answer the following questions:

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a minimalist lifestyle?
  2. What are the pros and cons of a maximalist lifestyle?
  3. If you were to choose between the two, which would you prefer?
  4. Describe your home design and lifestyle practices.
  5. In your country, are people more maximalist or minimalist?

The Philosophy of Cynicism

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Complexity has been part of human evolution. We are all living in a bubble as life is made easier by the advanced technology which made humans acquire more than what they really need.

This is our present reality. However, cynicism is contrary to how many are living their lives now. It is about spurning the comfort and materialism to adhere to simple living.

Watch the video below to learn more about this philosophy.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is cynicism?
  2. How has this practice evolved through time?
  3. Can we consider cynicism a good trait to possess?
  4. What did you learn about this philosophy?
  5. Share your thoughts on this statement: “by rejecting the opinions of others and societal measures of success, we could be truly free”.

The Danger of Silence

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Clint Smith stated, “we spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don’t”. Simple words that have a very powerful meaning.

There are a lot of reasons why people stay silent, one could be telling the truth is difficult and staying silent won’t give you a hard time. But then again, being silent all the time can also spell disaster.

Watch the video below and learn more about the dangers of silence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can silence be negative to people?
  2. Is there an advantage to being silent?
  3. Do you prefer being silent or honest?
  4. Are you comfortable sharing your two cents?
  5. How is having a voice important?
  6. Talk about a story when you stood up for someone/something.

Ways to Stop Over Apologizing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

An apology is telling someone how sorry you are for the pain or trouble you have caused them while promising that the bad behavior will not be repeated. However, are you the type of person who tends to over apologize ?

While it is a powerful tool for building trust, valuing the other person and your relationship with them, we sometimes need to assert our self-worth and try not to apologize for everything little thing so much.

Let’s read the ways on how to stop saying sorry too much.

Over Apologizing for Everything? 5 Ways to Stop Saying Sorry Too Much

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about the article?
  2. What makes a good apology?
  3. When apologizing, is it best to make it up with someone with a costly gift?
  4. How do you apologize for a personal and professional mistake?
  5. Should you apologize if you feel that you are right?