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Google Will Use Renewable Energy

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In an attempt to reduce the impact of global warming, many organizations are looking at using renewable energy. Google is one of them.

Google wants aims to shift to renewable energy by 2017 in order to power all their data centers and offices.

Read the article below and be ready to talk about technology. Share your thoughts as well.

https://www.voanews.com/a/mht-google-says-will-use-100-percent-renewable-energy/3625221.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the benefits of using renewable energy?
  2. What are the disadvantages of using renewable energy?
  3. Do you think more companies will follow once a large company like Google shows that it is possible not to rely on fossil fuels? Why or why not?
  4. With wind farms and solar panels being expensive for its initial cost, do you think it would be cheaper in the long run for companies to do this? Explain.
  5. Is there a push in your country to go with renewable energy sources and electric vehicles? Why do you think this is the case?

Eating Junk Food Is Not Good

B2 – Upper intermediate

Junk food isn’t actually made of garbage. People use the term junk food to describe a food that has few of the nutrients your body needs, and a lot of fat, sugar and salt, which your body can easily get too much of.Potato chips, candy, and soft drinks are often considered junk food. If you like these snack foods, the trick is to eat them in small portions so that you still get the nutrients you need each day.

Reasons Eating Junk Food Is Not Good

Discuss: 

1. What springs to mind when you hear the term junk food?

2. How often do you eat junk food?

3. Do lots of people eat junk food in your country?

4. What is it about junk food that is so bad for us?

5. Are parents who feed junk food to their children irresponsible?

How to Survive Seasonal Dysfunction

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For most, Christmas time might be the most joyous holiday. However, it’s not the case for everyone. It’s quite surprising that some aren’t as ecstatic about this season.

Read on the article to find out how to get over Christmas jitters.

Christmas presence: how to survive seasonal dysfunction

Discussion Questions:

1. According to what you’ve read, what are the ways on how to survive “seasonal dysfunction”?
2. In your opinion, what are some reasons why people dread the holidays?
3. How do you feel about the holiday season?
4. How do you deal with the pressures of this season?
5. What do you enjoy the most during this time of the year?

India to be a Cashless Society

B2 – Upper intermediate

“A cashless economy is secure.” This is according to India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Below is an interesting article on how India is working on becoming  a cashless country. Read the article then answer some discussion questions.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1611/161129-cashless-society.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about a cashless society?
2. What are the pros and cons of cash?
3. Is having a cashless society an assurance that one country’s economy will be stable?
4. What are the effects of the digital world in your society?

On Different Cultures: East Meets West

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Graphic artist Yang Liu moved to Germany in 1990 when she was 13. Thirteen years later, she started an illustrated series to capture the differences that she observed between the Chinese and German culture.

Read the article about the cultural differences between East and West from one artist’s perspective.

http://qz.com/567479/the-cultural-differences-between-east-and-west-according-to-one-artist/

Discussion Questions:
1. Choose and describe at least three cultural differences that surprised you the most in these illustrations.
2. How does the Spanish culture compare to other European countries and also the Asian culture? What do you think are the similarities and differences?
3. Is it important to adapt to the culture of the country you are visiting/living in?
4. Which cultural differences surprise you most when you are abroad?
5. Which foreign culture do you find especially interesting? Why?

Women Will Never be Equal to Men

C1 – Advanced

The issue of equality between men and women is nothing new. This is especially obvious in the workplace. Despite differences, both men and women are to work together harmoniously.

Read the article below then express your thought.

Women Will Never be Equal to Men

Discuss:

1. Are men and women truly equal?
2. Are men and women equal in ability and intelligence?
3. Will women ever be equal to men in the workplace?
4. Should men and women be granted equal status?
5. How do you ensure that men and women are equally considered in a hiring process?

Should Cigarette Smoking Be Banned

B2 – Upper Intermediate

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco use is the major cause of preventable and premature death worldwide. The argument of banning smoking has been a strong one. Although dangerous to health, smokers think that they also have the right to choose to smoke or not.

Read the article and find out different points of view toward smoking.

https://quitsmokingcommunity.org/the-big-debate-should-cigarette-smoking-be-banned/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree that smoking cigarettes should be banned? Explain your answer.
  2. What are the good and bad effects of completely banning cigarettes?
  3. Do you think smokers are harming other people? Defend your stand.
  4. Should government restrict smoking to protect smokers? Why or why not?
  5. Should smoking advertisement be limited or banned? Why or why not?

Low Social Status Bad for Health

B1 – Intermediate

Social status is defined as “the position or rank of a person or group, within the society.” Is a person’s social status really important? How relevant is it to you? Read the article below then be ready to answer the discussion questions.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1611/161127-social-status.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is social status important?
2. Do cars and other things make people happier?
3. How can lots of money change your social status?
4. Are rich people happier because of their social status? Explain.

Sci-fi Inventions That Became Reality

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C1 – Advanced

In the recent years, we’ve seen advancements in technology, some of which look like something that came straight out of sci-fi films or novels.

Discover fictional inventions that we are seeing in real life now.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-38026393

Discussion Questions:
1. Talk about a fictional technology you saw in a movie or read from a novel that became a reality.
2. What is a sci-fi invention that you would like to see in the near future?
3. Give some examples of technology that have made the world worse.

New Hazards At the Office

B2 – Upper Intermediate

These days, the average office worker sits for around 10 hours. This results to a sedentary lifestyle and a potential threat to one’s health.

Find out more about this new risk associated to office workers sitting for too long from the article below.

Do you spend a lot of time glued to your computer screen at the office? Is your daily exercise limited to an occasional bathroom break and a brief walk to refill your coffee? According to a new study from New Zealand, if your response was “yes” to these questions, then you may be at risk of forming deadly blood clots. In fact, the risk for office workers is higher than most long-distance air travelers.

It’s called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. It’s also known as “economy class syndrome,” because it was first linked with long distance flights. The absence of legroom in economy class, as well as the more crowded conditions, means passengers are forced to sit for lengthy periods. DVT is a condition, then, in which a blood clot forms in one of the veins of the leg or pelvis. The clot can break off and block a blood vessel in one of the lungs. Death is the result.

Professor Richard Beasley headed the study. He discovered that a large number of patients coming to the hospital with blood clots had been seated at work for hours and hours. In fact, some people had sat for periods longer than many long-distance flights. He found that it wasn’t uncommon for people to sit for twelve to fourteen hours, nonstop except for a quick time out for the bathroom, coffee, and lunch.

1.4% of people who report blood clots have recently traveled on a plane. Compare this to 34% who have just spent the day at the office. The figures are alarming. They show the sedentary nature of the modern work environment.

The study covered sixty-two patients aged 65 and younger.

Source: headsupenglish.com

Discussion Questions:
1. Do you agree that employers should protect the health and safety of their employees?
2. What other hazards can you think of in association with the office?
3. What would be the perfect office environment? Is it likely you will ever work in such a place?
4. Describe your workplace. How conducive and safe is it for workers?