Tag: Reading

American Voters Decided More Than Just the Presidency

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B2 – Upper intermediate

And so the United States presidential election is over. The country has a new president, who will take office in January of 2017. There is mixed emotions on the results. But voters were not only choosing who the best candidate should take office. They were also hopeful that certain policies would change.

Read the article below to know more about policy measures that Americans are trying to work on.

American Voters Decided More Than Just the Presidency

Discuss:

1. Is marijuana legal in Spain? What about medical marijuana?
2. Are you able to possess any type of gun in Spain? Do you think it makes you any safer owning a gun?
3. What is the minimum wage in Spain? Do you think you can live off of the current minimum wage in the States at $7.25 an hour or 6.75 Euro?
4. Do you know when they stopped implementing the death penalty in Spain? Do you agree with having the death penalty?
5. Is euthanasia legal in Spain? Do you think someone has the right to decide to end his/her life if he/she is suffering from a terminal disease?

Unexploded Bombs Still a Problem in Laos

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B2 – Upper intermediate

Most countries have many remembrances of past wars. Unfortunately, in countries like Laos, these reminders still have the power to injure them.

Read the article below and express your thoughts about it.

Unexploded Bombs Still a Problem in Laos

Discuss:

1. Who do you think is responsible for the clean up of the remaining bombs?
2. Should the USA pay for the medical bills of those people who are affected by the bombs or should it be charities?
3. Do you think that bombs today are more sophisticated because of advanced technology?

Developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

B2 – Upper intermediate

There are many differences between males and females. And dealing with stress is one of them. Read the article below to know more about PTSD and how stress affects specific gender.

Boys and girls react differently to stress

 Discuss:

1. What do you know about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
2. What damage does stress do to the body? How does it change people?
3. Who do you think are emotionally stronger, boys or girls?
4. What are some of the world’s most stressful job?

Paid Time to Read

B1 – Intermediate

The United Arab Emirates have come up with a way to encourage people to read more. Government employees will be compensated when they read during work hours and libraries will be set-up in their workplaces.

Read below to know more about it.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1611/161103-reading.html

Discussion Questions:

1. How much do you like reading?
2. How long should people read each day?
3. How important are libraries?
4. What do you think of having libraries in shopping malls?
5. What does your country do to encourage reading and literacy?
6. What do you think of having a law that gets people to read?

Reasons We Don’t Call in Sick

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Most of us can choose to go on as many sick leaves as we want but for some reasons, we decide not to take advantage of this work benefit.

This BBC article offers explanations as to why many people choose to still go to work even if they are already very ill.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20161101-the-reasons-we-dont-call-in-sick-when-we-are-ill

Discussion Questions:
1. Kindly name some reasons why people choose not to take a time off of work when sick.
2. Have you ever gone to work even if you were very sick? If yes, Why did you do it? If not, why so?
3. Do you think “Working on sick leave, weekends and vacations has become the norm”?
4. How is absenteeism rate monitored in your company?
5. Talk about leaves (vacation and sick days) in your country.

Migrants Storm Border in Spain’s Ceuta

B2 – Upper Intermediate

African migrants usually climb the fence that separates Morocco from Spain. If someone manages to scale those fences, he lands in Europe. Tens of thousands of African and Arab migrants try to do so each year. Many have traveled hundreds of miles already, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, but also from conflict zones like Syria or Somalia.

https://www.thelocal.es/20161101/over-200-migrants-storm-border-in-spains-ceuta

Discussion Questions:

1. Is immigration from one country to another a problem? In what ways do you see it as a problem?
2. Do you think that immigrants (legal or illegal) are treated well in most countries?
3. Do you think immigration and crime are closely related?
4. Should any government limit the number of immigrants entering the country?
5. Is local culture threatened by immigration?

No More Homework!

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For years, schools have always given homework to students every single day. But recently, school officials, as well as parents, are saying no to more homework. A group of parents in Spain have recently gone on strike to protest their children’s school load.

No more homework! Spanish parents go on strike

Children have long complained about homework but parents in Spain are now joining in and have decided to go on strike against their offspring’s school load for the whole month of November.

Called by the Spanish Alliance of Parents’ Associations (CEAPA), a network that covers some 12,000 state schools across the country, the strike targets weekend homework for primary and high school students.

Jose Luis Pazos, president of the CEAPA, told AFP Wednesday parents had launched the unprecedented initiative due to “the absolute certainty that homework is detrimental” to children, damaging their extra-curricular development.

According to a 2012 PISA education report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Spain was the fifth nation with the most homework after Russia, Italy, Ireland and Poland out of 38 countries studied, with 6.5 hours a week compared to an average of 4.9.

The workload does not necessarily translate in better results for Spanish students, whom the PISA report traditionally gives low scores in maths, reading and science.

By contrast, in Finland and South Korea — two of the countries with best student performances according to PISA — the average time spent on homework every week was less than three hours.

Pazos said that education in Spain was still very reliant on the traditional method of rote-learning — memorising work.  

Pointing to the availability of information in current society, he said that “what we have to teach children isn’t to memorise everything, but how to manage information, to be critical, to select what is worth it and what isn’t.”  

“Society has changed deeply, but the environment in the classroom hasn’t.”

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of the article?
2. Are you for or against giving homework to students?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving homework to students?
4. What was the most difficult homework you had to do when you were still a student?

Native English Speakers are World’s Worst Communicators

C1 – Advanced

Misunderstandings between native English Speakers and ESL speakers happen more often than you think. There happens to be a certain comprehension between two ESL speakers as compared to a non-native and a native speaker.

Read the article below then express your thoughts. Share some of your experiences as well.

Native English Speakers are the World’s Worst Communicators

Discuss:

1. Have you ever been in a situation where you are in a group listening to a native English speaker and everyone is unsure of the message?
2. Do you ever nod in agreement even if you don’t understand what the person is saying?
3. Do you understand non-native English speakers easier than native English speakers?
4. Do you know any other English abbreviations like ‘OOO’ (out of the office)?
5. Which do you find easier to understand, US English or UK English?

Self-Driving Electric Delivery Trucks

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Here’s a short article about how technology in driving is getting more and more advanced. Read the article below then express your thoughts about it.

http://fortune.com/2017/12/07/anheuser-busch-tesla-semi-trucks/

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think there still should be a human passenger to monitor driver-less vehicles?
2. Do you think having driver-less vehicles will be a positive or negative thing in the long run?
3. Do you know if there have been any testing of driver-less vehicles in your country or laws passed to allow them?

Breakfast: The Power Hour for Success

coffee shop scence with London red bud behind in window. Image shot 2008. Exact date unknown.

C1 – Advanced

It is a well-known fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But to some business people, breakfast time is not just for meals. It’s also for meetings.

Read the article below to find out the benefits of having morning meetings and the right time to have after-hours meetings.

Breakfast is the real power hour for success

Discuss:

1. According to the article, what are the benefits of having meetings early in the morning?
2. Do you agree with the points mentioned in the article?
3. How often do you have meetings at work? What time do you usually have them?
4. What is the most productive time for you at work? Are you a morning person or an evening person?