Tag: Reading

Super Immunity Cells

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When Covid-19 started affecting millions of people, sometimes even leading to long-term health effects or worse, fatality, one of the many efforts in finding as much information about it was started by a group of virologists from New York. They launched a study to attempt and anticipate the emergence of more dangerous Covid-19 variants.

Memory B cells was discovered more than half a century ago. But scientists are only starting to have a grasp of how crucial these cells are in helping protect people from some serious diseases.

Read the article about about the cells that can give you hybrid-immunity.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220210-the-cells-that-can-give-you-super-immunity

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on these cells?
  2. How else can they be beneficial for humans?
  3. How strong do you think your immune system is? How can you say so? 
  4. What are things do you do to boost your immunity?
  5. How would you feel about having super immunity?
  6. Would you like a procedure or drug to be discovered to help humans achieve this super immunity? Why or why not? 

Hypochondriacs

B2 – Upper Intermediate

When people start feeling under the weather, they consult with their GPs. However, some people may have more health complaints when they are not actually ill. In 2013, the term “illness anxiety disorder” was used to describe people who have illogical and debilitating concerns over their health.

Read the article about about hypochondriasis.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220215-why-even-just-testing-for-diseases-can-make-us-feel-ill

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on this condition?
  2. Hypochondriacs are often belittled and dubbed as time waster. What do you think of this?
  3. What are some factors that can lead to hypochondriasis?
  4. What are some of your fears related to your health condition?
  5. What are some ways to tackle health anxiety?

Happiness Can Cause Heart Problems

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you had a good laugh today? Laughing helps you and others around you feel happy. Not only that, happiness causes healthy physical changes in the body. Indeed, your sense of fun is among the most valuable ways you have for improving your everyday mood and mental condition, which benefits your general well-being. When you live a cheerful life, it benefits your entire body more notably, your emotions and thoughts.

But have you ever thought that perhaps being overjoyed has its drawbacks too? Excessive happiness not only defeats its advantages for us, but it may also cause heart problems.

Let’s take a look at the article below to find out how happiness can cause heart problems.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/health-medicine/happiness-can-cause-heart-problems.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you worry about having heart problems? Why or why not?
  2. Is heart disease a leading health problem in your country? Why do you think that is?
  3. What things are really bad for your heart?
  4. What can you do to look after your heart?
  5. Is it possible for scientists to be able to produce a mechanical heart that can work forever one day? Why or why not?

Fast Fashion Harms the Environment

B1 – Intermediate

Fast fashion is the rapid production of inexpensive clothing because of high demand of the latest trends. Nowadays, fashion is getting cheaper and cheaper and we buy, use, and dispose of it faster than ever. Most people shop for clothes online since it is low-priced and convenient. Thus, making it easier for them to throw them away when they do not like it anymore. This is bad for the safety of the environment since most of these clothes end up in dumping grounds and only a very small percentage of it is upcycled or recycled.

Let’s read the article below to learn more about how fast fashion is bad for the environment.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2202/220210-fast-fashion.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you know about fast fashion?
  2. Why do you think fast fashion exist nowadays?
  3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of fast fashion?
  4. What would be the impact of fast fashion in the future if it continues to grow?
  5. What are some solutions to the problem with fast fashion and the problems it brings to the environment?

Covid Health Pass Implanted in Your Hand

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Biochip technology is believed to be one of the most thrilling advanced technology to emerge and it expresses a lot of interesting potential applications. This technology makes it possible to verify a person’s identity without the use of identity cards, store medical information, have control over many devices, and create a cashless society.

A Swedish company created a rice-sized chip implant that is capable of storing COVID-19 vaccination information. Hence, people don’t need to worry about using their phones to present their COVID passport.

Let’s read the article below to learn more about this biochip implant.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/23/would-you-be-willing-to-have-your-covid-health-pass-implanted-in-your-hand

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on the use of biochips as access to COVID-19 vaccination information?
  2. Would you be willing to have your COVID passport implanted in your hand? Why or why not?
  3. What dangers do you see in putting biochips in people’s bodies?
  4. Microchip implants in the future could create a cashless, cardless, keyless society. What do you think of this?
  5. Technologies upgrade because of its tendency to enter the mainstream. Are you the type of person who is updated with technology? Why or why not?

The New York Times Buys Wordle

B1 – Intermediate

There is a new craze in town. It’s Wordle, a web-based word game. The New York Times also owns some online games that their users can enjoy playing. It’s no surprise NYT wanted to add Wordle to their numerous games that can be found on their website.

Read this article to know more about The New York Times’ acquisition of Wordle.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2202/220203-wordle-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is this a good investment for The New York Times? Why or why not?
  2. Have you tried playing Wordle? If yes, what do you think of it? If not yet, would you try it now that you know about it?
  3. What other online word games have you tried playing?
  4. Why do you think Wordle became very famous in such a short time since its release in October 2021?
  5. Do you think people would continue playing this if it isn’t for free anymore? Why or why not? 

Embryo a Year Younger than the Mother

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Some couples are lucky to have children without needing any medical interventions but there are others whose dreams of having a child is a long shot. Luckily, with the help of science, their dreams could possibly come true.

Read the article and watch the video about the oldest frozen human embryo and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/19/health/snowbaby-oldest-embryo-bn/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on/reaction to this news?
  2. What do you think about embryo donation and adoption?
  3. Talk about other modern methods of conceiving that you know about.

Measles Outbreak in Europe

B1 – Intermediate

Measles is an infectious disease that has not been a very big problem in decades. However, there had been a huge increase in the number of people affected by this disease in Europe last year. 

Read this article about the new measles outbreak in Europe.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/health-medicine/new-measles-outbreak-in-europe.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why was there a massive outbreak of measles in Europe?
  2. How do you feel about the increase of measles cases in Europe?
  3. How can the government encourage parents to have their babies receive measles immunization?
  4. What other outbreaks have you had in your city/country the past few years? How did the ministry of health and/or the government manage the outbreak?
  5. What other vaccinations/immunizations do you know babies should get?

Teenagers Aren’t What They Used To Be

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Whenever we hear the term teenager, we picture of a phase in someone’s life when one is making dumb choices while struggling to mature via trial and error.

The bulk of choices taken by adolescents are impacted by their peers and how others behave.

Let’s take a look at the article below to find out why teenagers aren’t what they used to be.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220124-why-teens-arent-what-they-used-to-be

Discussion Questions:

  1. Did you like being a teenager? Talk about that phase in your life.
  2. What are the best and worst things about being a teenager?
  3. Do you think today’s teens are the same as teenagers 20 years ago? Explain your point.
  4. Do you think parents look forward to their cute little children becoming teenagers? Why/why not?
  5. Why is it that teenagers tend to rebel so much?
  6. What impact do teenagers have on society?

Running a Successful Small Business

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Owning a business sounds like a dream: you are your own boss and you get a say on everything from top to bottom of things. A lot of people are enticed by the idea of a business where they own their time, earn their own money, and take charge of where the money goes or how it’s spent, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

Starting or owning a business takes a lot of responsibility and sacrifices. So many things happen behind the scenes that are tricky and challenging.

The tips laid out in the article below aims to help budding entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be in setting up and running a small business successfully.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/make-money-in-business.asp

Discussion Questions:

1. Are you interested in having your own business? Why or why not? If yes, what kind of business would it be?
2. What sacrifices must be made to start a business? Are you willing to take them?
3. What are some challenges faced when starting a business?
4. What are some rewards of owning a business?
5. How do you keep yourself organized at work and in other aspects of your life?
6. What is good customer service?
7. What are other tips that you can add to the list?