Tag: Reading

Oil-Eating Bacteria

B2 – Upper Intermediate

An oil spill is a form of pollution. The term is usually applied to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the waters, but spills may also occur on land.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript on oil-eating bacteria.

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201509/oil-eating-bacteria/

Discussion Questions:

  1. What happened in the Gulf of Mexico?
  2. What can break down the carbon molecules present in oil?
  3. Did the oil-devouring property of marine microorganisms come about by chance? Or was it designed?
  4. How might oil-eating bacteria be helpful to humans and our environment?
  5. Was there ever an oil spill recorded in Spain? How was the incident resolved?

A Chinese Man’s Plea for Love

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C1 – Advanced

Does status play a role when two people are in love? In China, it does. And, most of the time, it’s not easy getting around it.

Read the article below to find out about Xiao Yang and how he dealt with his sensitive situation.

 

 

‘I am a painter’: A Chinese man’s plea for love

Discuss:

1. What do you think of Xiao Yang’s letter?
2. Do you think the mother was right to have misconceptions?
3. China has a very interesting history when it comes to status symbols. Is it the same in your country? Discuss some of the traditions you have in your country when it comes to marriage and the role of men and women in society.

Jurassic World Breaks Box Office Record

Jurassic World

B2 – Upper intermediate

A success of a film is measured by the number of people willing to go to a movie theatre for it. Following its release in June of 2015, hundreds and thousands of movie-goers flocked to the cinema to watch the film Jurassic World.

After reading the article, talk about the the movies that you think are good. You may also answer some of the activities included in the article.

Jurassic World breaks box office record

Discuss:

1. Out of curiosity, do you believe in dinosaurs?
2. Have you watched all three films of Jurassic Park?
3. What are some of the films that you found to be really good?

EU Enlargement – What Comes Next?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The European Union is a politico-economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has grown from the six founding states to the current 28. Joining the European community has become a primary goal for most European politicians.

Read the article below and express your thoughts about EU enlargement.

http://www.english-online.at/current_affairs/eu-enlargement/eu-candidate-countries.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. As a citizen of the EU, what is your opinion of further expanding the union or adding more countries?
2. Do you remember the time when your country joined the EU? Do you think it was a good idea for your country to join the EU?
3. How do you think Europe would be like if the EU weren’t ?

Doctor Brings Healing to Patients

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Gone are the days when doctors would actually visit the sick and heal them from the comfort of their homes. But what one doctor is bringing that back.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about what Ernest Brown does and why he is considered unique.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/doctor-healing-patients-in-homes/2829125.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain Dr. Brown’s background and how he was led to making house calls. What is “concierge services.”?
  2. Are house doctors a popular idea in your city or region?
  3. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of doctors making house calls?
  4. Talk about the last time you were sick and had to see a doctor.

What your Name says about You

C1 – Advanced

We all need to be identified. From the time of birth and even before conception, most parents have already thought of names for their children.  The origin of our names can be from names of the seasons, famous people, from baby books or simply from our parents’ imagination.

Is choosing a good name necessary?

WHAT YOUR NAME SAYS ABOUT YOU

Discuss:

1. Are you happy with your name? How did your parents choose your name?
2. What are some of the most common names for boys and girls in your country?
3. Do you know the meaning of your name? If yes, what does it mean?
4. Do you believe some names or words have magical qualities?
5. Is the trend of naming children changing in your country?

The Nightmare Retirement Scenario

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever thought of your retirement? We all age and would need to leave our jobs to enjoy our savings and life after years of work, but have we really given it a thought?

Let’s check a scenario and possible ways on how we can keep our retirement on track.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/17/retirement/retirement-run-out-of-money/index.html?iid=TL_Popular

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the age for mandatory retirement in your country? What is the advantage and disadvantage of retiring at this age?
  2. Where and how would you like to spend your retirement years? Why?
  3. How are you preparing for your retirement years?
  4. What are the three (3) things you would like to accomplish/have before and after you retire?

Alcoholism on the Rise in Italy

drunk-teenager

B2 – Upper intermediate

As in other cultures, wine is part of the Italian culture. Italians take wine pretty seriously. They relax and enjoy a glass paired with their delectable dishes.

However, for the young, the story isn’t quite the same. Read the article below about young Italians and their drinking habits.

Alcoholism on the Rise in Italy

Discuss:

1. What do you think is a healthy dose of alcohol?
2. How much beer, wine or vodka can you drink daily without any damage to your health?
3. Italian youths are becoming reckless drinkers. Do you see this happening in your country?

New Software Helps Catch Criminals

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In this day and age, technology hasn’t only made our life easier, it has also been keeping us safe.

Read the article below to know more on how computers and programs are being used by the task force to combat crime.

New technology in the world of police and crime aims at making it easier to catch criminals. Researchers and computer experts are working on new computer programs that try to find out which areas of a city might be more prone to crime than others.

The software analyzes how police have patrolled certain districts of a city in the past and compares this information to present day data. This data is also compared to behavior patterns of criminals.  While it may take humans hours to spot a certain pattern, machines can do this in a short time. The program has been successfully tested in the United States and Great Britain.

Software giants like IBM are helping combat crime. The company states that over the past years it has helped to bring down crime in Memphis by 30%. Software programs help find out where the city’s hotspots are so that police can concentrate on patrolling certain areas.

In Los Angeles, a similar program is being tested with the help of another computer company. The city’s police supervisor states that working with serious data is far better than just tracing calls and hoping to get lucky in catching a criminal.

In Great Britain, millions of pounds have been spent on TV surveillance. Although government officials say that CCTV is working, critics say that despite getting camera images from all over the country, there are not enough police officers patrolling the streets.

In the future, the European Union hopes to combine both techniques – sophisticated computer software paired with camera surveillance. One of the problems is that there is too much video material, which makes it impossible for the police to examine. With special software, a lot of footage could be examined in a relatively short period of time.

Source: http://www.english-online.at/news-articles/technology/new-software-helps-catch-criminals.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Are there hotspots in your city? Talk about your experience being in this hotspot.

2. What are the things that the police or local government doing in order to keep your city safe?

3. Do you think that more technology should be used to keep your city safe?

Sitting May Be Dangerous For Your Health

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Sitting on an office chair for prolonged periods of time can definitely cause lower back pain or worsen an existing back problem. What else are the other effects?

Read the article below to know more about the consequences of sitting for too long.

http://breakingnewsenglish.com/1506/150609-sitting.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your reaction to this?
  2. How long do you usually sit everyday? What do you notice are its effects on you/your body?
  3. How do you make your lifestyle less sedentary?
  4. What can you do to curb the amount of time you spend on the chair?
  5. What other things have effects on a person’s longevity?