Tag: Preliminary PET

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?

Ex-Nissan CEO Escapes Japan

B1 – Intermediate

Japan needs to make its immigration stricter after Nissan ex-CEO Carlos escaped the country.

Read more about this news and be ready to talk about it.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2001/200108-carlos-ghosn-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this news?
  2. What can you say about Ghosn’s great escape?
  3. Talk about other criminals who were able to flee your country.

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?

Apple Removes Customer Reviews

B1 – Intermediate

Apple has removed its customer reviews and ratings from all products of the Apple website. The company has stayed silent about this matter. It’s still not clear though as to why this has happened.

Read the article to find out more about this news.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1911/191125-customer-reviews.html

Discussion Questions :

  1. Why do you think Apple removed the customer review section?
  2. What is your opinion about Apple removing their customer review section?
  3. If a page/product/service, especially online, does not have any reviews/review section, does it make you less interested in their product or service? Talk about it.
  4. If the product or service has mixed reviews, how do you decide which to believe?
  5. How important are customer reviews for customers and businesses?

The Best Companies to Work For

B1 – Intermediate

A new report ranked companies to find out the best places to work in. It considered workers’ satisfaction with their jobs. Google was on top of this list.

Read more about pay and benefits in companies.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1405/140527-pay-benefit-package-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of the benefits of Google employees?
  2. What are the best companies to work for in your country?
  3. If you were happy working for a company, would you go on holiday less?
  4. What are the important benefits you want to receive from the company you are working for?
  5. What are the good and bad things about your company?

This Device Fights Phone Addiction

B1 – Intermediate

Some students at the University of Indonesia are working on an iteration of a device that monitors signs of smartphone addiction.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript to learn more about “Nettox”.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/indonesians-make-device-to-fight-phone-addiction/5156493.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does Nettox work? What do you think of this device?
  2. Why are smartphones and mobile apps addictive?
  3. Is it possible to live without a smartphone and social media in this day and age? Why or why not?
  4. In your opinion, at what age should a child be given their first smartphone?
  5. What are other ways to avoid phone addiction?

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?

Living By the Sea Makes Us Happier

B1 – Intermediate

They say, ‘home is where the heart is‘. Who lives happier lives – is it the people who live by the beach or the ones who reside in the inland?

Read the article and find out how living near the coast helps with mental health.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1910/191004-living-by-the-sea-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree with the result of the study?
  2. In which place do you want to live that could make you happier?
  3. What might be reasons living near the beach helps improve our mental health?

Food and Drinks on Public Transport

B1 – Intermediate

Public transport is used for going from one point to another. Some people use them for other things. They do other things while on the bus or train.

Read the article and find out what the UK government is planning to ban on public transport.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1910/191012-public-transport-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the UK government thinking about doing?
  2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this ban?
  3. Do you agree or disagree with this ban? Explain your position.
  4. What is your opinion on prohibiting fast food at football games?
  5. Do you ever eat or drink while on public transport? Why or why not?
  6. What other things do you do or see other people do while on public transport?