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Retiring at 40

B2 – Upper intermediate

Do you ever dream of not having to go to work and not worry about money? Start planning to retire at the age of 40. Impossible?

Read on for a guide on how to achieve this seemingly impossible dream.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140404-yes-you-can-retire-at-40

Discussion Questions:

1. Would you be interested in early retirement? Why or why not?
2. How do you picture yourself as a retiree?
3. Does your current company have pension or retirement plans for its employees?
4. Does your government have a comprehensive package for pensioners?
5. Do you think there is a disadvantage to retiring early?

Successful 20-year-old Owns a Chinese Factory

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Take a peek into the life of a young and successful man who started creating his products when he was 11 and now owns a factory in China:

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/20-old-brooklyn-successful-owns-133159062.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What were you doing when you were 20?
2. What do you think are the perks and pitfalls of being a young millionaire?
3. Are there many start up businesses in your city run and managed by young entrepreneurs?
4. If you became a multimillionaire, how would you manage your wealth?

Defeating Old Age and “Solving” Death

<> on July 13, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.

C2 – Proficient

Will humankind be able to fight aging and untangle death? Google started a new medical company called Calico that aims to prolong life.

How Google’s Calico aims to fight aging and ‘solve death’

Discuss:

1. Do you think Google will succeed?
2. Have you ever thought of living for more than a hundred years?
3. Can you imagine how life would be when you are over the age limit of humanity?
4. In your country is there an increasing number of elderly people?
5. In your own little way, how would you prolong your life?

Postal Service Back After 20 Years

B1 – Intermediate

Somalia’s government has restarted its postal system after 20 years. Its return is just one example of Somalia getting back to normal after its long period of political troubles.

Read the lesson on Somalia’s postal service resumption after two decades. Be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1410/141016-postal-service-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important do you think is the postal service to a country?
  2. How long do you think it will take for Somalia to be as “forward” as other countries are right now?
  3. Has your country ever experienced some kind of interruptions in services due to political problems? Talk about it.
  4. What are the most important things to focus on when a country is recovering after a long period of chaos?

Lego Ends Ties with Shell

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Lego had a partnership with Shell and made toys that had Shell logo on them. There were over a million people who emailed Lego asking it to end its deal with Shell that brought pressure to finally end its contract with the oil company.

Read the article about Lego ending its tie-up with Shell.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1410/141012-lego.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Give your opinion about Greenpeace’s move to pressure Lego from ending their contract with Shell.
  2. Do you think that parents have a responsibility in choosing the right toys to educate their children about preserving the environment?
  3. Are there specific projects to tackle environmental issues in your country? Talk about some that you know of.

India Removes 287 Laws

B2 – Upper Intermediate
 

The Indian government decides to dismiss laws that date back to the 19th century, when India was under British rule. The law minister is doing a clean up of India’s legal system and described some of the laws as bizarre and outdated.

 

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1410/141010-laws.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Give your opinion about India’s move in removing obsolete laws.
2. Are there laws in your country that you think are laughable or you find useless?
3. What are some of the current laws you have regarding Internet use, domestic violence and other social concerns?

Norway’s 12-year-old Child Bride

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B2 – Upper intermediate

Thea, a young girl from Norway, started writing about details of her wedding preparations. One day, her mom told her that she has to get married to Geir, who is 37 years old.

The truth about Thea, Norway’s 12-year-old child bride

Discuss:

1. What was your reaction while reading the article?
2. What is your opinion on the idea of child bride?
3. Why do you think other countries allow child brides?
3. What is your opinion on arranged marriages?
4. What do you think is the ideal age to get married?

Unguarded Talk: Threat to Companies

C1 – Advanced

While most big companies focus on possible ways their top secret information may be breached and how they could prevent it from happening, they are overlooking one threat to information security.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140910-loose-lips-and-corporate-secrets

Discussion Questions:

  1. If you were in the writer’s shoes, what would you do or think at that moment?
  2. What are your thoughts on the loose lips risk? Should companies consider loose lips a serious matter? Explain.
  3. Share your thoughts on this statement: “Discretion is the wiser part of valour.“.
  4. Talk about other risks your company/industry face on a regular basis.
  5. What are ways for companies to ensure information security?
  6. Tell a related story about information breach that you know of.

Bridging the Technology Gap

B1 – Intermediate

We are in the high technology age. Technical devices get upgraded almost every time.

However, did we consider those people still living in the past? If they have the same knowledge of technology as the people of this generation?

This article contains a video and an audio clip. Feel free to to watch and listen.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/teen-senior-bridge-technology-gap/2451596.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Should we consider this gap a social issue?
  2. Is it easy to bridge this gap between your own grandparents or older parents?
  3. In your household, is everyone very knowledgeable when it comes to tech gadgets and devices?
  4. What domestic appliances do you have that are very modern?

Fear

B1 – Intermediate

Fear is an emotion observed by living things particularly among humans and animals. Fear may take place in response to a certain stimulus or that provokes response.

Find out what some people are afraid of:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/expressenglish/2011/10/111031_ee_fear_page.shtml

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your greatest fear?
2. How do you usually respond to fear? Can you think of good ways to handle fear?
3. Do you think psychiatric intervention is necessary to address issues concerning fear?
4. Share some of your scary experiences.