Tag: Reading

Bank of England Staff Go on Strike

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Employees are going on a strike. They have decided to demand a pay increase from the Bank of England. Getting very little to no rise in their salary means workers have to constantly make ends meet.

Find out more about the current situation that the bank’s staff have to face and what led them to make the said decision.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1707/170705-bank-of-england.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think are the good and bad things about being a bank worker?

2. Do you think good pay is the most important requirement in a job? Cite a few reasons why.

3. Talk about what you know about the pay rise system in your country.

4. What are the usual reasons workers’ union go on strike in your country?

5. Do you believe strikes should be forbidden? Explain.

Clearing Up Confusions

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Rumors in the workplace can lead to hurt feelings and may mean employees have to work in a hostile environment. Whether a rumor is true or not, the outcome of spreading it can be damaging. Employers have a responsibility to try to control the spread of workplace rumors to ensure that the work environment is a positive place for all employees.

Watch the video and read the transcript about clearing up confusions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/english-at-work/47-language-to-clear-up-confusion

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you and your colleagues chit chat with each other? Why or why not?
  2. Talk about a situation where it was necessary for you to clear up a confusion at work.
  3. What are some common topics do coworkers speak about?
  4. What are things employees shouldn’t be talking about among themselves in the office?
  5. How damaging is it to spread rumors in the workplace? Explain and cite examples as well.

Tips from Spain’s Centenarians

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Everyone would like to know the secret to a long life and a healthy body. Why not learn from Centenarians who have lived for more than 100 years?

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

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-centenarians-idUSKBN14J128

Discussion Questions:

  1. What tips did the elderly Spanish people offer to those wishing to live long lives?
  2. How old is the oldest person that you have ever met? How would you describe him/her?
  3. Would you like to live for more or less 100 years? How do you imagine living this part of your life?

Music Makes Us Happy

B1 – Intermediate

A brain chemical called ‘dopamine’ is said to be released when we listen to music, eat, and do other rewarding activities.

Read the article below to know how exactly music affect our mood and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

Music has been a part of human history and culture for a very long time. Perhaps it has always been a part of our history and culture. And scientists now know the reason. Music makes us feel good.

It doesn’t matter what kind of music people listen to. When we listen to music, our brains produce a chemical. The chemical increases our heart rate. It makes us breathe faster. We even get chills with some exciting music. The same chemical makes us happy when we eat delicious food, laugh with friends, or win at something difficult.

Almost everyone feels the same way about music. In fact, even babies reacted to music!

Source: headsupenglish.com

Discussion Questions:

1. Does music make you feel good?
2. What kind of music gives you the chills?
3. What other things make you feel good?

Banning Smartphones for Children Under 13

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© User: 3dman_eu / pixabay / CC0

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Kids born in the late 1990s and early 2000s are born in the digital age. Some kids as young as 2 years old already knows how to turn on a phone and use some apps. Young children learn how to use devices or gadgets such as mobile phones very easily these days but is it beneficial for them to start using cell phones at a young age?

Let us read the article below first and then answer the questions that follow.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/colorado-moves-to-ban-smartphones-for-children-under-13/3906933.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about the proposal?
2. Why do you think the proposal only targets phones with internet access?
3. What “mental effects” might constant smartphone use have on children?
4. Would you agree that a child’s smartphone usage is a “family matter?” Why? Why not?
5. Do you agree that children under the age of 6 should only watch an hour of videos a day? Why? Why not?
6. Do you think that the children of today will be completely dependent on digital devices by the time they grow up? Why? Why not?

Pakistani Farmers Get Tips via Text

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One problem farmers face is overwatering. It would help them a lot if they could get an advice regarding the proper amount of irrigation water to prevent them from overwatering their fields.

Farmers are now getting tips via text messages in Pakistan to make sure they get access to information for their irrigation needs in the quickest time possible.

Click on the article for more information on this way of disseminating information to farmers:

https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-farmers-get-tips-via-text/3917603.html?src=voa-editor-picks

Discussion Questions:

1. How does this new program help the farmers?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the said program?

3. Should farmers rely on this technology?

4. What are other ways to help farmers better?

 

 

 

Boy Beats Disability

B1 – Intermediate

Everyday, thousands of people with disabilities are challenged. Disability need not be an obstacle for this boy to succeed.

Read the transcript and/or watch the video to find out more about an incredible 10-year old boy who faced up to challenges of being disabled.

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/boy-beats-disability-level-3/

Discussion Questions:
1. What kinds of disability do you know of?

2. What kinds of discrimination do people with disabilities face?

3. What can you do to help handicapped people?

4. Does your country have special training facilities for handicapped people?

5. Can a physical disability prevent a person from succeeding?

Ways the Rich Signal Their Wealth

C1 – Advanced

Long time ago, corsets and silver spoons symbolized high social position. In the modern times, more middle-class people can go on fancy vacations and afford luxury bags too. The challenge for the super rich is to look for ways to set them apart in terms of their elite social status.

Read this article to find out how the elites mark their social position.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20170614-the-new-subtle-ways-the-rich-signal-their-wealth

Discussion Questions:

1. According to this article, how are the rich establishing their status now?
2. What are your thoughts on conspicuous and inconspicuous consumption?
3. Why do you think the super rich are spending less on material goods and the middle-income groups are going on the opposite direction?

Compulsory Voting

 B2 – Upper intermediate

There are currently 32 countries with compulsory voting around the world. They include Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Singapore, Cyprus, Greece, and others. Of these 32 countries, 12 aggressively enforce their mandatory voting laws with penalties of varying kinds, including nominal penalties and small fees of as low as $15 and the deprivation of government services or the freezing of one’s bank account.

Listen to this podcast to know more about exercising our right to vote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-150813

Discussion Questions:

1. Are you a voter? Why is important to vote? Should it be made compulsory?

2. Does compulsory voting contradict the concept of free will?

3. Do you agree with some people who choose not to vote as a form of political expression?

Potential New Planets

B1 – Intermediate

NASA scientists on Monday announced the discovery of 219 new objects beyond our solar system that are almost certainly planets.

What’s more, 10 of these worlds may be rocky, about the size of Earth, and habitable.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nasa-new-planets-kepler_us_594969b4e4b04c5e5025661a

Discussion Questions:

1. How close do you think we are to finding a “second” Earth?

2. Why do you think scientists are so invested in finding new planets?

3. If the time came, would you consider moving to another planet?