Tag: Reading

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.”.

    Spotify Not Banning AI-Made Music

    B1 – Intermediate

    Producing something creative like music is probably one thing that we think only humans can do. However, with the advancements of the technology, music can be made using artificial intelligence or AI too.

    Read the article and know more about Spotify’s decision not to ban music produced by AI.

    https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2309/230928-spotify-ai-music-1.html

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does ”auto-tune” mean? “This includes the auto-tune software that helps singers correct their pitch and add vocal effects.” Use this term in a sentence.
    2. What does “mimic” mean? “Mr. Ek did not like software for mimicking the voice of an artist.” Give 2 synonyms and use “mimic” in a sentence.
    3. What does “streaming site” mean, “Daniel Ek, the boss of the streaming site Spotify, has answered this question.”? Use this term in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. Do you agree or disagree with Spotify’s decision not to ban AI-made music? Explain.
    2. Do you think we should worry about this problem now? Share your opinion.
    3. In general, what do you think about using AI in music?
    4. “Spotify deleted one song created by an AI platform. Software copied the voices of the singers Drake, and The Weeknd.” Do you agree with Spotify in deleting this song on their platform? Why or why not?
    5. What is one question or concern do you have about AI at the moment?

    Bed Poverty

    B1 – Intermediate

    Sleeping well at night in your very own bed relaxes us and recharges our batteries. Not having a proper bed to sleep in is, unfortunately, a sad reality for more than one million children in the UK.

    Read the article and know more about this problem in the UK with young kids living with no beds of their own.

    https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2310/231005-bed-poverty-1.html

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. What does ”bed poverty” mean? “The charity said bed poverty is because people are poorer because the cost of living has increased.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
    2. What does “struggling” mean? “Bed poverty shows that many people in Britain are struggling.” Give 2 synonyms and use ‘struggling’ in a sentence.
    3. What does “deep-rooted” mean, “The charity asked the government to take “urgent action” to fix these “deep-rooted issues”.”? Use this word in a sentence.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What is your reaction to this news?
    2. Does this problem exist in your country too? Talk about it.
    3. What are the effects on children of not having their own beds?
    4. What can the government do to solve this problem?
    5. Talk about your experience sleeping in the following:
    • your own bed now
    • sharing beds with others
    • on the floor
    • in other places apart from a bed or a room

    Spaving

    B2 – Upper Intermediate

    People have a lot of bad spending habits and one of these is “spaving”. This habit, often ignored, has a quiet but strong impact on your financial health.

    Read the article to learn about spaving and some tips in order not to fall into these spaving traps.

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-spaving_l_6536c44fe4b0689b3fbd9464

    Vocabulary Questions:

    1. Define “spaving”. “For some people, spaving leads to credit card debt, which can mean paying interest that far exceeds whatever was saved in the sales deal.” Use this in a sentence.
    2. What does “to miss out on something” mean here? “The reality is, retailers are constantly rolling out new sales, so just because you miss out on a sale today doesn’t mean you can’t get the same item on sale later.” Make a sentence with this idiom.
    3. What does “to put a dent in something” mean? “A few bucks here and there adds up and can put a huge dent in your overall budget.” Make a sentence using this idiom.

    Discussion Questions:

    1. What are your thoughts on spaving?
    2. Are you familiar with the concept of spaving in your own spending habits?
    3. How do you make sure you don’t spend too much when there are sales or time-limited offers?
    4. What are the most common spaving traps? Have you fallen into any of them?
    5. Why do people end up spending more because of spaving?