Tag: technology

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

The field of neurotechnology often described as a bit of a “wild west” for lack of regulations governing the said technology at present.

Chief of bioethics at UNESCO Dafna Feinholz said people have to be informed about neurotechnology’s potential benefits and risks, and the options they have.

UNESCO has adopted some guidelines governing the protection of our neural data.

Read the article about UNESCO’s set of global standards on the ethics of neurotechnology.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/06/unesco-adopts-global-standards-on-wild-west-field-of-neurotechnology

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “burgeoning” mean? “It is the latest move in a growing international effort to put guardrails around a burgeoning frontier – technologies that harness data from the brain and nervous system.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
2. What does “wild west” mean here: “Unesco has adopted a set of global standards on the ethics of neurotechnology, a field that has been described as “a bit of a wild west”.” Use the expression in a sentence in the same context. Give a synonym.
3. What does “bugbear” mean?  “The current frontier of neurotechnology lies in improving brain-computer interfaces, which despite recent breakthroughs are in their infancy – and in the proliferation of consumer-oriented devices, which Mathews said could raise privacy concerns, a bugbear of the Unesco standards.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

1. Share your thoughts on the two recent developments in neurotechnology: artificial intelligence (AI) which offers vast possibilities in decoding brain data and the proliferation of consumer-grade neurotech devices.
2.  What are your thoughts on the possibility of companies using neurotechnology to subliminally market to people during their dreams in the future?
3. Share your insights on this: Neurotechnology has the potential to define the next frontier of human progress, but it is not without risks.
4. Share anything you know about neurotechnology.

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

Social media is changing how it handles old or unused accounts. One big platform now plans to sell inactive usernames, which has people talking about who really owns a name online, how it affects personal branding, and what it means for digital identity.

Let’s read the article to find out how this decision might change the way we think about online identity, who owns usernames, and how social media works.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/general/x-will-start-selling-inactive-usernames-soon/ar-AA1OPISp?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What is a “handle” in this context? “According to a recent post on the website formerly known as Twitter, the company will soon start selling “handles that are no longer in use” to paying subscribers.” Use it in your own sentence.
2. What does the word “pithy” mean? “Generally, paid handles will be pithy, one word, “culturally significant names,” like @Pizza or @Tom.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
3. What does the idiom “to play it safe” mean? “X’s inactive account policy says that users should log in “at least every 30 days” to keep their accounts active, though, so if you’re concerned about your username being taken, it’s best to play it safe.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What’s your take on X’s decision to sell unused usernames?
2. Do you use X? If so, what prompted you to create your account and when did that happen?
3. What would make a social media username valuable enough for you to consider paying for it?
4. Can you recall a time when your ideal username wasn’t available, how did you handle it?
5. How do you decide what username to use across different platforms?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Spain has taken another major step toward digital transformation with the launch of a new national initiative to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in businesses. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the government will allocate €150 million in subsidies to help companies develop and integrate AI-based technologies into their operations.

The program aims to accelerate innovation, improve productivity, and enhance competitiveness across key sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. By encouraging the adoption of AI, the government seeks to position Spain as a leader in the global digital economy, fostering sustainable growth and preparing the country for the future of work and technology.

Read the article and learn more about this government project.

https://www.techmonitor.ai/digital-economy/ai-and-automation/spain-boost-ai-integration-e150m-subsidy-programme?cf-view

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “earmark” mean? “On the European Union (EU) front, significant funding has been earmarked to foster AI research and development.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym.
2. What does “to make strides in something” mean? “In addition, the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) has made strides in setting up AI Factories across Europe.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym.
3. What does “uptake” mean? “A key initiative under this package, GenAI4EU, aims to stimulate the development and uptake of generative AI across Europe’s strategic industrial sectors.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think Spain is investing heavily in artificial intelligence now?
2. What benefits and challenges might small and medium-sized businesses face when adopting AI?
3. Do you think government subsidies are the best way to encourage AI adoption? Why or why not?
4. Do you think your company will benefit from this? Why or why not?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Spain’s Kreios Space, a pioneering SpaceTech startup based in Vigo, has secured €8 million in the largest European investment yet for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite technology. The funding round, led by the NATO Innovation Fund and JOIN Capital, will accelerate the development of Kreios’ groundbreaking air-breathing plasma propulsion system and support the launch of its first two satellites into orbit.

Founded in 2021, Kreios Space is redefining satellite propulsion with its Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) system, which uses atmospheric air instead of traditional onboard fuel. This innovation enables satellites to operate closer to Earth for extended periods, providing sharper imaging, faster broadband connectivity, and new opportunities for defence, climate monitoring, and disaster response — thereby strengthening Europe’s independence and leadership in the global space sector.

Read this article and learn more about the project.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “seed round” mean? “The Seed round was led by the NATO Innovation Fund and Berlin-based JOIN Capital, with participation from Grow Venture Partners, Xesgalicia, and Tasivia Global.” Use it in a sentence.
2. What does “sovereign broadband communication” mean? “Meanwhile, the potential for resilient, sovereign broadband communications could transform connectivity for remote regions, emergency response, and military operations.” Use it in a sentence.
3. What does “direct-to-device broadband” mean? “By bringing satellites closer to Earth, they enable high-resolution imaging and direct-to-device broadband at an entirely new level – capabilities vital for European security.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is Kreios Space, and what recent achievement has it made?
2. How might Kreios Space’s innovation change global space competition?
3. Do you think VLEO satellites could replace traditional ones in the future? Why or why not?
4. What risks might investors face when funding new space technologies?
5. Do you think space innovation should be a priority for governments? Why or why not?

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

An investigation is underway regarding China accessing neural data from BrainCo’s focus-training headband that some top athletes use.

Athletes wear this wearable headband because it helps them get in the zone. It enables them to monitor their brainwaves which could help them optimize their performance.

Read the article to know more about BrainCo and the rise of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “brain-computer interface (BCI) technology” mean? “That was long before Beijing’s announcement of its major goal this year: leading the world in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology by 2030.” Use the term in a sentence. 
2. What does “dual-use potential” mean? “This dual-use potential is why both superpowers are racing to control it. Whoever has the most neural data and best algorithms could gain an unprecedented advantage in medicine, commerce, or warfare.” Use the term in a sentence. 
3. What does “aggregated data” mean? “BrainCo’s privacy statement explicitly saying it collects brain wave data from users and that aggregated data may be sent to any office worldwide or even third parties.” Use the term in a sentence. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the positives and negatives of BrainCo’s wearable focus-training headband?
2. Do you believe BrainCo is telling the truth when they say that any brain data collected is “purged from the application at the conclusion of each use”? Share your insights.
3. Share your opinion about some Democratic U.S. senators’ warning about the potential exploitation of sensitive neural data and that Chinese companies are purportedly developing brain-control weaponry.
4. Share your thoughts that some companies are promised special government support for technologies deemed critical to military dominance.
5. “The potential applications of BCI unlocked by AI could be boundless — and dangerous.” Share your opinion.
6. Share your insights on BCI tech’s dual-use potential.

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

The more the digital landscape transforms, the more threats to cybersecurity emerge. 

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity’s (Enisa) “The Threat Landscape 2024 Report” reveals top cyberthreats in the recent years. It also indicates the top sectors that are most vulnerable to these cybersecurity attacks.

Read the article about some main and emerging cybersecurity threats in EU.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20220120STO21428/cybersecurity-main-and-emerging-threats

Vocabulary Questions:

1. Define “cyberwarfare”. “Attacks of this type are getting larger, more complex and less expensive to perpetrate and are strongly connected to cyberwarfare.” Use the term in a sentence.
2. Define “ransomware”. “In 2024, ransomware attacks continued to be one of the main cyberthreats.” Use the term in a sentence.
3. Define “pilfer”. “An especially popular form are information stealers – malware that pilfers sensitive data.” Use the term in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. Share your insights on this, “The increasing use of social media platforms and online media has led to a rise in campaigns spreading disinformation (purposefully falsified information) and misinformation (sharing wrong data).” Do you think these occur in your country as well? Talk about it in more details.
2. What is your opinion about public administration being the top sector most affected by cybersecurity threats?
3. What are your thoughts on Deepfake technology?
4. Share your opinion about cyber operations being used alongside traditional military action, by Russia, for example.
5. Do you think “hacktivism” is good or bad? Share your thoughts.