Tag: Preliminary PET

UK Exam Results Fiasco

B1 – Intermediate

In order to grade students’ exams, the UK government used an algorithm to determine the results. The problem is, the algorithm did not work properly. 

Read more about this lesson on the UK exam results fiasco.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2008/200819-exam-results-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. How would you feel if you were a student or a parent of a student affected by this?
  3. In your opinion, are grades important? Why or why not?
  4. What are/were some effects of the pandemic on schooling in your country?

Microsoft to Buy TikTok

B1 – Intermediate

TikTok has become a very popular social media platform nowadays. It’s an app where users can upload very short videos of themselves doing some funny stuff.

Microsoft has been considering to buy TikTok but President Trump is opposed to it. Then later changed his mind.

Read this lesson about Microsoft buying TikTok.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2008/200805-tiktok-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is President Trump opposed to Microsoft buying Tiktok at first? What changed his mind?
  2. What do you think of Microsoft’s offer of $50 billion for a part of the company?
  3. How popular is Tiktok in your country?
  4. Why do you think Tiktok is popular? What do you think of this app?
  5. Given a chance, what company would you like to buy or invest in and why?

Bin Bag Dress

B1 – Intermediate

It is not easy being a woman in business and politics. Sometimes, they suffer from discrimination. A young female politician in Australia experienced this. She has received criticism that are based on her gender or as simple as the way she dresses.

Read the transcript and listen to the audio from the link below.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/bin-bag-dress-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to Nicolle Flint wearing a garbage bag dress?
  2. Is it important for politicians to dress nicely? Why or why not?
  3. What are your thoughts on your politicians’ public image?

Gorilla Glass Toughest Smartphone Screen

B1 – Intermediate

Most people has a mobile phone. We take care of it because it is a very important device for us.

Every gadget owner’s worst fear is dropping their phone and breaking the glass on its screen. However, as technology advances, the glass used as material in making our mobile phone screens has also been improved a lot.

Read this lesson about the most durable smartphone screen.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200728-smartphone-glass-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news on tougher mobile phone screens?
  2. Have you ever dropped your smartphone and break its screen? What did you do when that happened?
  3. What other improvements or technology do you want to see in mobile phones?

New Netflix Subscribers Surge During Pandemic

B1 – Intermediate

Netflix is quite popular all over the world nowadays. It is a video streaming service that allows members to watch popular movies, TV shows, and documentaries on different devices. More and more people are now subscribing to Netflix since most of us are staying at home because of the pandemic.

Read this lesson on the increase in Netflix subscribers.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2004/200425-netflix.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is Netflix? Do you have a subscription? Why or why not?
  2. Do you like this kind of app? Why or why not?
  3. Why is there a big increase in the number of new Netflix subscribers recently?
  4. What TV shows or movies do you watch on Netflix?
  5. Do you think people will not continue with their subscription to Netflix after the pandemic? Why or why not?
  6. What are other activities you can do at home apart from watching on Netflix?

French Health Workers’ Pay Rise

B1 – Intermediate

They are clearly the heroes during this extremely difficult times. They are the health workers including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. With all the work that they do for us, how do we repay them?

There will be an increase in its health workers’ salary in France. The pay rise is a reward for the hard work of health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read this lesson on health workers’ salary.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200716-health-workers-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “applaud” mean here, “During the outbreak, millions of French people applauded nurses and doctors.“? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “protest” mean, “Unions asked them to stay away as a protest.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does the word “staff” mean, “The unions said the government had to do more to protect staff and keep them safe.“? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think health workers deserved this pay rise? Why or why not?
  2. Talk about salaries and benefits of health workers in your country. Do you think they are properly compensated?
  3. How were health workers’ hard work recognized or how were they rewarded during the pandemic in your country? 

Basic Income for Poor Could Slow COVID-19 Spread

B1 – Intermediate

The United Nations has thought of a way to slow the spread of COVID-19 down. It is to give poor people a temporary basic income. They said that if about 3 billion people would receive this help, they would not need to go out of their homes anymore. It would decrease the possibility of them spreading the virus even further. 

Read this lesson on temporary basic salary for poor people during the pandemic.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200724-basic-income-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can this help to poor people help slow the spread of Covid-19?
  2. Do you agree to giving the money to poor people? Why or why not?
  3. What other plans does your country/government have to  slow the spread of COVID-19?

Be Safe Around Trains

B1 – Intermediate

Trains are very convenient way to travel from one place to another. However, without proper caution, train stations could be a dangerous place too.

British Transport Police and Network Rail started a campaign on safety at train or railway stations.

Read the transcript and listen to the audio from the link below.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/be-safe-around-trains-level-1/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some of the examples of safety campaigns around trains mentioned on the audio?
  2. What safety campaigns around train stations do you know of?
  3. What rules should you follow at a train station?
  4. How safe are train stations in your country? Give details.
  5. Talk about an accident that has happened at a train station.

11-year-old’s Ballet Video Goes Viral

B1 – Intermediate

Dancing is the art of moving the body to the rhythm of music. It is both an art and a form of recreation. Most people dance to have fun or to entertain others but dancing can also be used for communicating. Dancers express feelings of joy without saying a word.

Let’s read the article below and learn more about an 11-year-old boy whose video went viral.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200714-ballet-dancer-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is dance and what is your favorite form of dance?
  2. What do you think of male ballet dancers?
  3. What do you like to create? What things do you find joy in doing?
  4. What do you have a passion for?
  5. How do you deal with obstacles in front of you?

Man Spent Five Years Too Long in Prison

B1 – Intermediate

A huge mistake caused a man to spend longer in prison than his supposed sentence. Instead of being released in 2015, Sio Agafili ended up being imprisoned for another five years.

The mistake was spotted and Sio Agafili is now free and fighting for his rights after suffering from this injustice.

Read about this news and find out more about this wrongful jail sentence in Samoa. 

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200710-jail-sentence-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this error?
  2. What should be the compensation for people who suffer this kind of injustice?
  3. How would you feel if you were Agafili and you were imprisoned unlawfully?
  4. Has anything like this happened in Spain? What happened to person who experienced it and what happened after the mistake was discovered?
  5. What do you think of when you hear the word “prison”?