Tag: People

Take Someone Under Your Wing

B1 – Intermediate

When someone needs your guidance on something, you help them. In a way, you are like their protector. You guide them to let them learn something that they need to know about.

When you join a new company, you are going to have a training and then have a coach or mentor to help you start with your tasks. Your coach/mentor has to take you under their wing during this time.

Listen to the audio and know about the expression “take someone under your wing”.

youtu.be/qToUpkUXXHQ?si=fIThrP1DpWoKWBu0

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does ‘take someone under your wing’ mean?
  2. Have you taken someone under your wing before? If yes, Why did you do so?
  3. Speak about your experience being taken under someone’s wing.
  4. In your opinion, does taking someone under your wing come with a lot of responsibilities?

Modern Humans Came from Botswana

B1 – Intermediate

New research affirms that the origin of modern humans is Botswana. The study is published in the journal ‘Nature’. Researchers in the study used DNA to find out where modern humans came from.

Read the article to find out more.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1911/191101-homeland-0.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this discovery?
  2. How far back do you know about your family tree?
  3. Talk a little bit about your family history.
  4. Where do you think most of the people in your country come from?

2019 Person of the Year

B1 – Intermediate

Greta Thunberg is TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year. She is the famous 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist.

Read more about Greta and this award that she recently received.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1912/191215-greta-thunberg-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think Greta deserves this award?
  2. Who is your person of the year and why?
  3. What are your achievements this year?
  4. What do you want to achieve next year?
  5. What do you plan to do in order to become a useful member of society?

Kurt Cobain’s Sweater Auction

B1 – Intermediate

The singer/songwriter and Nirvana frontman might have left us in 1994, but his name is legendary which makes one of his sweaters he wore during a live appearance on MTV is officially the most expensive sweater ever sold at an auction.

Let’s read the article.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1910/191030-kurt-cobain.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of auctions?

2. What do you think of the Kurt Cobain’s cardigan being sold at $334,000?

3. Would you buy famous people’s clothes?

4. Why do people spend lots of money on memorabilia?

5. What would you like to buy in an auction?

Europe’s Most-Wanted Criminals

B1 – Intermediate

A website of Europe’s most wanted shows that women can commit serious crimes too. In fact, 21 of Europe’s most-wanted fugitives are members of the fair sex.

Read more on this through this article and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1910/191022-most-wanted-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your reaction to this news?
  2. What is your comment on the statement, “Crime has no gender”?
  3. Are women equally as capable of committing serious crimes as men?

90-year-old Starts Elementary School

B1 – Intermediate

Priscilla Sitienei, 90, is the world’s oldest elementary school pupil. She wasn’t able to go to school when she was a little girl. Now, she hopes to be a model for the children in her village. She wants to inspire them to get an education.

Read about the oldest elementary student from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1501/150128-elementary-school-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of this headline?
  2. Would you do the same if you were Priscilla?
  3. Do you agree or disagree with what she said that “With education, you can be whatever you want.” and that “education will be your wealth.”?
  4. How can we motivate children to study?
  5. What memories do you have of your elementary school days?

Malaysia’s 92-year-old Leader

B1 – Intermediate

Mahathir Mohamad, 92, is Malaysia’s next prime minister and the world’s oldest elected leader.

He is known as one of Malaysia’s strongmen. He has ended 60 years of rule of the Barisan Nasional (BN) party.

Read about the oldest leader from the link below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1805/180512-oldest-leader-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree that there should be an age at which all leaders must start with/retire from their political careers? Explain.
  2. What are the most important things for a leader to have (e.g. experience, charisma, qualifications, youth, etc.)?
  3. What is your opinion about having a 90-plus-year-old leader in your country?
  4. How are younger/older leaders better leaders?
  5. Would you be a good leader? Why or why not?

Showtime in Singapore

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The world’s most powerful man meets one of the most notorious and controversial dictators in history. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un hold a conference in Singapore to discuss matters that concern not just their countries, but perhaps the entire global community as well.

Read the article and share your thoughts about this monumental event.

http://www.thetimesinplainenglish.com/showtime-in-singapore/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is this meeting all about?
  2. What is your opinion about nuclear weapons? Does you own country have any?
  3. Is it right for a country to have a stockpile of nuclear weapons? Explain.

Man to Swim Across an Ocean

B1 – Intermediate

A man hopes to become the first to swim across the Pacific Ocean.

Read on to find out about his goal, how he prepared for this, and some challenges he might face during his attempt.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1806/180607-pacific-ocean-2.html

Discussion Questions:
1. What are Lecomte’s reasons for doing this?
2. What do you think about his goal?
3. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?

Introverts vs Extroverts

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Do you get energized when in an outer world or inner world? Are you outgoing or inward? Do you prefer a wide range of friends or are you reflective? Or maybe, you could do both things and be one and the other at the same time. Watch the video to get down pat.

Discussion questions:

1. What are the differences of extroverts and introverts?

2. Do you think one personality is better than the other? Give the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of personalities.

3. Do you consider yourself an extrovert, introvert, or ambivert?
Try this personality test with the student: https://www.quietrev.com/the-introvert-test/

4. What do you think the world would be like if extroverts were the only ones living in it? Only introverts?