Tag: Reading

Largest Iceberg Breaks Free

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A23a is biggest and oldest iceberg on the planet. It is twice the size of Great London. The last time it broke off the ice shelf was in 1986. Then, in 2020, scientists started seeing the iceberg moving a little bit.

Recently, it’s been observed to be drifting away from Antarctica and making its way toward Southern Ocean. 

Read the article and also watch the short video of British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Oliver Marsh as he talks about A23a and its current state and course.

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/worlds-largest-iceberg-breaks-free-heads-toward-southern-ocean-2023-11-24/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase ”calf off” mean? “Since calving off West Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, the iceberg — which once hosted a Soviet research station — has largely been stranded after its base became stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea.” Use this expression in a sentence.
  2. What does the idiom “to gain steam” mean? “As it gains steam, the colossal berg will likely be launched into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This will funnel it toward the Southern Ocean on a path known as “iceberg alley” where others of its kind can be found bobbing in dark waters.” Make a sentence using this phrase.
  3. What does “to make a run for it” mean, “Why the berg is making a run for it now remains to be seen.”? Use this phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘iceberg’?
  2. What are your thoughts on the biggest iceberg being on the move?
  3. What caused this move?
  4. What impact can this have on the surrounding environment?
  5. How do icebergs affect the Earth?
  6. What will happen if icebergs melt?

Never Meet Your Hero

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Everyone has an idol, someone they admire and look up to . So, when you get the opportunity to see or meet your idol, it’s a big deal, especially if they’re famous. It feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity for your dreams to come true.

Read the article to know if it’s actually good to meet your idol and face the reality? Or is it better to keep them in your head and admire from afar?

12 Reasons You Should Never Meet Your Hero

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “share the same brain“ mean? “You share the same brain.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “to exude an aura of“ mean? “He doesn’t exude an aura of greatness — in fact, he seems like a guy who watches a lot of sports on TV, leaving you to wonder: is this the pinnacle of mankind?” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “disenchantment” mean? “You’ll view his newest work with a sense of disenchantment — after all, he’s just some guy who was flip to you that one time.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is meeting your hero a bad idea?
  2. What is the most important thing to remember when you are meeting someone you really look up to? Why?
  3. Who is your hero? If you met them, how would you feel? What would you do the first time you meet them? Or talk about the time you met your hero.
  4. Talk about who your mentor is (at work and in life). What lessons have they imparted to you?
  5. If you were someone’s hero, what might be things they can learn from you?

Why Go to Your High School Reunion

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The purpose of reunions is to give former classmates the chance to reconnect and reminisce about the good or not-so-good old days.

Read the article below to know why it’s good to attend class reunions.

https://lifehacker.com/why-you-really-should-go-to-your-high-school-reunion-1848779696

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of the phrase “to say the least”? “Receiving an invitation to your high school class reunion can be emotionally complex, to say the least.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “brown-noser” mean? “That tracked with my personality at the time, as I was obsessed with being successful in extracurriculars and generally being a pretentious brown-noser.” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “cutthroat” mean? “Once you have a beer and get some hugs from old friends, your mind won’t be on cutthroat competition.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree that school reunion is boring and stressful? Why or why not?
  2. What are the good and bad things about school reunions?
  3. Do you enjoy going to class reunions? Why or why not?
  4. How often do you meet up with your ex-classmates? Why is this the case?
  5. Were you a lazy or hard-working student? Talk about it.

Airports on High Alert after Bomb Warning

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There’s no denying that practically everyone aspires to travel as much as possible.

An airport bomb threat is a grave concern that poses a significant risk to the safety and security of air travel. With the increasing number of terrorist activities around the world, airports have become prime targets for such threats. The consequences of an airport bomb threat are far-reaching, not only causing panic and chaos among passengers, but also disrupting the entire aviation industry.

Read the article to see how airport security procedures are impacted by bomb threats.

https://www.voanews.com/a/philippine-airports-on-high-alert-after-anonymous-bomb-warning-/7299417.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of the idiom “to beef up”? “On Friday the aviation regulator released to media a Wednesday memo of the order given to airport security managers to beef up security, thoroughly inspect baggage and conduct round-the-clock surveillance after receiving the email threat.” Give 2 similar expressions and use “to beef up” in a sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of the idiom  “round-the-clock”? “On Friday the aviation regulator released to media a Wednesday memo of the order given to airport security managers to beef up security, thoroughly inspect baggage and conduct round-the-clock surveillance after receiving the email threat.”  Give 2 similar expressions and use “round-the-clock” in a sentence.
  3. What does “flag carrier” mean in aviation, “A source at Philippines Airlines, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to media, said the flag carrier was operating “business as usual.“? Make a sentence using this phrase.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What happened after the airports received a bomb threat?
    2. If you are an avid traveler yourself, how does this news make you feel?
    3. When you are at an airport, do you always feel safe? Why or Why not?
    4. How do airports in your country handle safety and security?
    5. Talk about any untoward incident you’ve encountered while at an airport..

    The End of the Mediterranean Beach Holiday

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    The beach is one of the most visited places during the holidays. A summer getaway seems incomplete without taking a trip to the coast.

    As the years pass, the climate has been noticeably getting worse. That said, staying under the sun may be more harmful to us as heat waves have been recurring. Hence, beach travels to the Mediterranean might come to an end.

    Read the article to learn more about the possible end of the Mediterranean beach holiday.

    https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231016-is-this-the-end-of-the-mediterranean-beach-holiday

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does “tighten one’s belt” mean? “Part of this could be down to consumers tightening their belts, with the ETC finding that nearly a quarter of respondents expressed concern about the rise of travel costs.” Use this in a sentence.
    2. Define “driven by something“. “We believe it’s partly driven by the cooler climate, which makes walking and cycling delightful rather than a sweat.” Make a sentence with this phrase.
    3. What does “fare” mean in this context? “Other regions fare better: the same climate scenario would see a 16% annual rise in tourism to west Wales, for example.” Give two synonyms and make a sentence with this word.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. How do you feel about the potential decline of the Mediterranean beach holiday and what impact might it have on your future travel plans?
    2. In what ways might over-tourism be contributing to the decline of the Mediterranean beach holiday experience?
    3. What measures can be taken to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the Mediterranean beach holiday industry?
    4. What factors do you consider when choosing a beach holiday destination? Are environmental concerns a priority for you?
    5. Have you ever been on a Mediterranean beach holiday? If so, which destination did you visit and how was your experience?

    Tattoos Enter the Beauty Pageant World

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Beauty pageants have long been associated with elegance, grace, and traditional standards of beauty. However, in recent years, there has been a growing trend of contestants with visible tattoos participating in these competitions. This shift has sparked debates about the impact of tattoos on the perception of beauty and whether they should be allowed in such events.

    Some may view tattoos as incompatible with traditional beauty pageants, others see them as an expression of personal identity. The inclusion or exclusion of tattooed individuals in these competitions will continue to be debated as society’s perception evolves further towards acceptance and appreciation for diverse forms of beauty.

    Read the article to learn how the pageant world is changing along with our beauty standards.

    https://celebrityink.com/tattoos-enter-the-beauty-pagent-world/

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does the word “enrich” mean? “Their aim is to create role models who enrich the perception of beauty while positively impacting communities.”  Use it in a sentence.
    2. What does “recurring theme” mean, “However, the idea of natural, unaltered beauty is still a frequently recurring theme throughout many modern beauty pageants, with tattoos being considered unladylike.”?  Use it in a sentence.
    3. What does the word “allure” mean? “Beauty pageants, like Miss World and Miss Universe, have moved with the evolving beauty standards and recognised the allure of tattoos on women.” Use it in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What are your thoughts on beauty pageants?
    2. Share your opinion on having a visible tattoo as grounds for disqualification from a beauty pageant.
    3. Are there any tattoos anywhere on your body? If so, could you kindly describe what one means; if not, could you please explain why not?
    4. Do you believe that getting tattoos diminishes your beauty? Explain your answer.
    5. Have you ever had an experience of someone judging your beauty? In what way did it occur?

    Boys Do Bad at School in the Persian Gulf

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Globally, girls are more likely to get no education at all than boys. In some countries, girls are seen as second class citizens and their main role is to get married and bear children. In the Persian Gulf, it is the other way around.

    Let’s read the article and find out why boys in the Persian Gulf are not doing so well academically.

    https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/education/boys-do-bad-at-schools-in-persian-gulf.htm

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. Define the verb “rely on someone/something“. “They rely on them to do everything they would otherwise have to do themselves.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
    2. What does “push” mean in this context? “The rest go to private schools where teachers are not only better but more interested in pushing children towards a higher education.” Use it in your own sentence and give two synonyms..
    3. What is the meaning of the expression “to pour something into“? “Authorities are convinced that just pouring money into the school system won’t achieve the desired results.” Use it in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. According to the article, what are the reasons boys are not doing well at school in the Persian Gulf?
    2. Share your opinion on this statement, “In an oil-rich region such as the Persian Gulf, families are so wealthy that their children do not need to study hard.“.
    3. How do private and public school differ in this region?
    4. What could be the outcome if this trend continues?
    5. In your opinion, what measures or changes could help resolve this problem?

    Smishing – The Latest Texting Scam

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    All forms of scams are very rampant nowadays. It could be through phone calls, phone texts, social media messages, and so on. One of the latest scams is “smishing”. Everyone needs to be on the lookout for these schemes to avoid falling victim to them.

    Read this article to learn about “smishing” and how to spot it.

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/smishing-phone-scam_l_6554dd0be4b0998d699e5c0f

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does “innocuous” mean? “In package smishing scams, the suspicious message can seem innocuous and read: “USPS: Since your package address does not have a house number, we are unable to arrange home delivery for you. Please update online,” the FTC shared as an example.” Give two synonyms and make a sentence with this word.
    2. Define “bogus”. “It is better to contact the company from their original website or phone number than to provide account information and login and password information from a bogus link.” Provide two synonyms and make a sentence with this word.
    3. What does “telltale”? “A ‘smishing’ message can seem like any other text message, but there are a few telltale signs that will warn you that something’s off.” Make a sentence with this phrase.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What is ‘smishing,’ and how does it differ from other forms of online scams?
    2. How can individuals identify potential ‘smishing’ attempts and distinguish them from legitimate messages?
    3. In what ways can raising awareness about ‘smishing’ and educating the public contribute to reducing the success of these scams?
    4. What measures do you currently take to protect yourself from phishing attempts or scams via text messages?
    5. Have you or anyone you know fallen victim to a text message scam and what was the outcome?

    Adermatoglyphia – People without Fingerprints

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Countries have slightly different regulations requiring non-residents entering their territory. One of these regulations is to identify the visitors by their fingerprints. Fingerprinting is an infallible means of personal identification. No two persons have identical fingerprints. However, there are cases when one just doesn’t have them.

    Let’s read the article and know more about this rare genetic disorder.

    https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/health-medicine/adermatoglyphia-people-without-fingerprints.htm

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What is the meaning of the word “baffled“? “They were baffled because they had not seen a phenomenon like this before.” Use it in your own sentence.
    2. What does the verb “grasp” mean? “People who were born without fingerprints often don’t have the grip to grasp things.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
    3. What does the word “sole” mean in this context? “Adermatoglyphia is a disease that affects not only your fingers but also the palms of your hand and the soles of your feet.” Use it in your own sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What is adermatoglyphia and what causes it?
    2. What challenges do people with adermatoglyphia have?
    3. What comes to your mind when you hear ‘fingerprint’?
    4. How are fingerprints important?
    5. Talk about other genetic disorders you know about.

    Young Successful Spanish Entrepreneurs

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    Being in the business world is a huge feat these days. Many young people have taken their million dollar idea and turn it into a prolific business.

    These young Spanish entrepreneurs didn’t waste any more minute and became successful in their chosen fields.

    Read this article about the top young successful Spanish businesspeople. 

    https://www.lexington.es/en/blog/young-successful-spanish-entrepreneurs

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does ”prowl around” mean? “After the pandemic and all those months that we had all the time in the world alone with our minds, many young people finally decided to take the plunge and get on board that business idea that had been prowling around their minds for years.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
    2. What does “empower” mean? “Andrea is already an inspiration empowering women with her podcast Vostok6, and she has been considered one of the most business-creative women in Spain, no less!” Use this word in a sentence.
    3. What does “to climb one’s way up to do something” mean, “We had to highlight these three names because they have climbed up their way to become part of the TOP20 most promising entrepreneurs in Europe this 2021.”? Use this idiom in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. Which among these young entrepreneurs do you find very inspiring? Why?
    2. What might be ways to inspire young people to go into business?
    3. Are you familiar with any of the companies mentioned in the article? Where did you hear them from?
    4. Yaiza Canosa said, “I am not the cleverest woman there is, the thing is that I encounter a problem and I look for a solution.” What do you think about her principle?
    5. Share your thoughts on this, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”.