Medicines are supposed to make us feel better and cure any illness a person might have. But sometimes, these medicines may also cause more harm than good.
Read the article below to find out more. Share your opinion after reading the text.
What is your reaction to this, “OTC medicines for asthma, aches and pains, insomnia and allergies, etc. could have side effects including cognitive impairment, dementia, and even brain shrinkage.”?
In general, what do you think about OTC medicines? Does this research change the way you think about them?
Do you think you take too many medicines or do you know anyone who does? What do you think about this?
Talk about one OTC medicine you know of, what is it for, and what side effects do you know it has?
Time and again, we’ve seen or heard some incidents wherein heavy tourism takes a toll on a once unspoiled place. A famous small island in Thailand named Koh Tachai has recently been closed to end what could be irreversible consequences of high number of tourists to its ecosystem.
Find out more about this news by reading the article below.
Idyllic Thai island Koh Tachai closed indefinitely due to damage from tourism
Bangkok, ThailandCNN —
Thai authorities have closed a popular island in the Andaman Sea to visitors, blaming high tourist numbers for damaging its ecosystem.
Known for its idyllic white beaches and excellent diving, Koh Tachai is the northernmost of the Similan Islands archipelago, a national park in southern Thailand.
Tunya Nethithammakul, director general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, told CNN Tuesday that the island had been closed to visitors “indefinitely,” due to the severe deterioration of its ecosystem.
Asia’s most underrated attractions
The problems included litter and food waste, gasoline from tour boats leaching into the water and damage to coral, he said, adding that overwhelming numbers of tourists were to blame.
“This is such a small island, I would say it could accommodate just a few hundred tourists a day,” he said.
“But it turned out that at certain points there were almost 2,000 tourists visiting the island (daily).”
Snaphappy St. Barts tourist grazed by plane
Situated about 137 kilometers (85 miles) northwest of the tourist hub of Phuket, Koh Tachai has no hotels, and the majority of visitors stay only for the day, eating lunch on the island.
Some tourism operators have offered overnight trips where guests stay in tents.
The island is marketed by local tour operators as the “Maldives of Thailand.”
Nethithammakul said that many of the islands in Similan National Park would have been closed soon anyway due to the monsoon season, along with other national parks in coastal areas.
Long-tail boats of southern Thailand
Discuss:
1. What was the main reason for closing this island for tourism? 2. Is it a good idea to close it indefinitely? 3. What do you think are the good and bad things about tourism? 4. Have you been to a place similar to Koh Tachai – breathtaking but somehow being exploited by humans?
Here’s an interesting history about the train network in London. Read the article and study the highlighted words. Be ready to answer discussion questions.
Gun ownership has always been vital in the American Society. Almost each household owns a gun and this is perfectly legal. Americans use it for protection. However, there are accidents resulting to gun ownership and it is quite alarming, especially if children are involved.
Read the article about the rise of shooting incidents that involve young children in the US and be ready to answer the questions that follow.
1. Do zoo animals in your country get ample treatment and care? 2. When was the last time you went to a zoo or an attraction with animals? 3. How do you feel about dentists? When was the last time you paid a visit to your dentist? 4. What are some dental procedures you’ve had?
The eldest daughter of US president Obama, Malia, is taking a year off before attending Harvard in fall next year. Nowadays, more and more high school graduates are delaying college.
The question is, is it always a good thing? Read the article below to know more about it.
1. What is gap year? 2. What are the top activities done during this period? 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing a gap year? 4. What is your personal opinion on this? 5. Did you take a gap year? / If you could go back in time, would you do it?
An Italian court has ruled that stealing a small amount of food due to starvation is not a crime. A man’s sentence was overturned because his lawyer argued that he only committed the crime out of desperation.
Read the article about the man who had stolen food “in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment” and an Italian court ruled that this is not a crime.
Almost everyone belongs to a family. We can’t imagine to exist without someone else who cared for us when we were young. We need a family.
What else is the meaning of family to you? The following article lets you know the response of other teens and young adults about how their families make them happy.
Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.
What makes teens and twenty-somethings happy? According to a survey, spending time with family made people in this age group the most happy. Time with friends came in second place, and time with a boyfriend or girlfriend came in third place. Almost no one said money brought happiness.
Seventy-three percent said that a good relationship with their parents made them feel good. In addition, when they looked for a role model, almost half of the people who took the questionnaire mentioned one of their parents. Moms ranked higher than dads, though.
Some of the discoveries were less positive. White people generally felt happier than black people or Hispanics in all economic categories. And as for stress, kids had a 10% higher rate than adults. Younger respondents said school stressed them out the most. Older people were worried about jobs and finances.
The survey also wanted to know whether today’s youth will remain happy in the future. Sixty-two percent of teens believed the future will bring more happiness. However, they also expect to have a more difficult life than their parents.
Source: headsupenglish.com
Discussion Questions:
What are the top three things that make you happy? Why are they the most important things to you?
Who is your role model in life? Why do you look up to them?
What are some things that worry or stress you out? Why are you stressed out by this?
Do you think the future will bring more happiness for everyone? Why or why not?
Do you agree or disagree that we could have a more difficult life than our parents? Elaborate on your stand.
Has the existence of dinosaurs crossed your mind yet? What if we co-exist with them? Whatever your answer may be, there sure is some discussion on the existence of dinosaurs.
Let’s learn more about this through the research made by a Japanese paleontologist.
1. What evidences prove the existence of dinosaurs in the past? 2. Why do you think the dinosaurs have lost their place on earth? 3. Explain the beliefs of scientists why the dinosaurs became extinct. 4. Have you ever been to a natural museum?
