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Free Gym Membership for Young People in Malta

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

Malta has seen a rise in youth obesity and inactivity rates over the past years. 

As part of a government-backed push for a fitter generation, starting 2026, young people ages 16-21 can avail of a free 6-month gym membership. No catch, no lottery.

The objective is not only to promote fitness among the youths, but to start building the habit among youngsters from a very young age.

In the long run, this won’t just be another policy, but a means of prevention against future national health crisis.

Read the article about Malta’s national health initiative.

https://timesofmalta.com/article/free-gym-membership-young-people-officially-launched.1109164

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is a “gym enthusiast”?  “Abela, a gym enthusiast himself, said around 12,000 young people can benefit from the initiative, in which the government will be investing €2 million.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  2. What does “to seize an opportunity” mean? “Abela encouraged eligible youngsters to seize this opportunity.” Use the expression in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  3. What does “to echo someone’s sentiments” mean? “Sports Minister Clifton Grima echoed Abela’s sentiments, saying the measure demonstrates how investing in sport and youth can unite the community around a healthy and positive lifestyle.” Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about Malta’s free gym membership for people ages 16-21?
  2. Should other countries consider adopting the same initiative? Why or why not?
  3. What could be the impacts of this initiative in the citizens’ heath and wellness long term?
  4. Share your insights about this: We want to bring about a change in mentality – in how we view physical activity from an early age.
  5. How does the government in your own country encourage and support physical activity as part of the citizens’ lifestyle? What health and fitness programs do you have in your country?

Unesco Adopts Global Standards on Neurotechnology

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.

Workers Adopt Corporate Jargon

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

In the modern world of the workplace, corporate jargons such as “ICE”, “ping”, “circle back”, and “double click” abound. 

Employees, despite being overwhelmed with such business lexicon, just resort to adopting it and using them in their day-to-day correspondences at work.

Read the article about workers capitulating to this word salad of corporate jargon.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240202-the-animal-instinct-that-drives-workers-to-adopt-corporate-jargon

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “boots on the ground” mean? “The sales team has boots on the ground. They visit customers directly, attend trade shows, or be present at industry events to build relationships.” Use the expression in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  2. What does “to double click on something” mean here: “We need to double-click on the data to understand the root cause”? Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  3. What does “to run something up the flagpole” mean here: “The company first ran the idea up the flagpole last year.”? Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the importance of corporate jargon?
  2. What are all the things wrong with it?
  3. What are your thoughts on all this work parlance these days? Do you think they are necessary? Explain.
  4. Share your insights on this: But as employees have come to understand office jargon, and even rely on it, Cooper cautions companies use these words to make processes opaque.
  5. Express your opinion on this: Cooper and Brown agree the popularity of corporate jargon has a fairly simple explanation: the desire for status in the workplace, or “human peacocking”.
  6. Cite at least three (3) industry-specific shorthands you use in your line of work and explain what they stand for and/or what they mean.

Signs You’re Working for a Failing Business

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Many people believe that having a regular 9-to-5 job ensures stability, but the truth is that no job is ever completely stable. As the article below explains, whether it’s due to company mismanagement, a lack of demand, or even illegal activities, a failing business usually shows several warning signs. Read the full article, and if you’ve noticed any of the following at your place of employment, it might be time to restart your job search.

https://vocal.media/journal/10-signs-you-re-working-for-a-failing-business

Vocabulary Questions

  1. What does “no fault of one’s own” mean in the sentence, “We may arrive on time every day, do our very best, and even take on extra tasks without being asked, yet we could still be unemployed tomorrow through no fault of our own.”? Use it in a sentence. Give a similar expression.
  2. What does “read between the lines” mean in the sentence, “Those who can read between the lines, however, would be more than wise to plan their own escape”? Use it in a sentence. Give a similar expression.
  3. What does “down the drain” mean in the sentence, “Company morale has gone down the drain”? Use it in a sentence. Give a similar expression.

Discussion Questions

  1. What do you think are the first signs that a company is failing?
  2. Have you ever worked for a company that showed some of these warning signs?
  3. How can employees protect themselves when a business starts to struggle?
  4. Do you think loyalty to a company is important even when things are going downhill?
  5. Which of the ten signs in the article do you think is the most alarming, and why?

Priced Out of Traditional Housing, More Americans Live in RVs

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As housing prices continue to rise across the United States, more Americans are turning to an unconventional solution: living in recreational vehicles (RVs). Once seen primarily as a vacation option, RV living is increasingly becoming a full-time lifestyle for people seeking affordable and flexible housing alternatives.

Read this article or watch this video to learn more.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/americans-choose-rv-life-economy-challenges-housing-market-cost-rcna231942

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “makeshift“. “The RV doesn’t have any tables or chairs, so he sat on a makeshift bed covered by a SpongeBob blanket with a cutting board on his lap, chopping peaches, apples and kiwis while his mom cooked hamburger patties on the RV’s small gas range.” Use this in a sentence and give a synonym.
  2. What does “cordon off” mean? “Now, living out of a roughly 175-square-foot RV with his mom and 6-year-old sister, Dante’s space is limited to a twin bed wedged under a loft, cordoned off with privacy curtains.” Use this in a sentence and give a synonym.
  3. What’s the meaning of “to leave someone underwater“? “Loan terms can be spread out over long periods to lower monthly payments, but that can quickly leave borrowers underwater — owing more on their loan than their RV is worth.” Use this in a sentence and give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your opinion on this: It estimated 342,000 people were living in an RV, boat or van, an increase of 41% from 2019.
  2. Could RV living become a long-term solution for housing crises, or is it just a temporary trend? Why?
  3. How can RV/van living be a debt trap?
  4. Do you think the same problem in housing affordability and rising cost-of-living also exist in your country? Share what you know about this issue.
  5. Do you believe living in a motorcoach is worth it especially if housing costs were very high in your city? Why or why not?

Parisians Take a Historic Plunge into the Seine River after 100 Years

B2 – Upper Intermediate

After a century-long ban, swimming is finally returning to the Seine River in Paris. Once considered too polluted for safe recreational use, the iconic river has now been cleaned enough to allow residents and tourists to take a dip, marking a historic moment for the city and its waterways.

Read the article or watch video to learn more.

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/paris-swimming-seine-100-years-rcna217021

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to ring out” mean? “Cries of “It is warm!” rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians jumped into the river — legally — for the first time in more than 100 years.” Give a synonym and make a sentence.
  2. What’s the meaning of “to skim something away“? “Before sunrise, a municipal officer skimmed away the last few patches of algae with a fishnet. Soon after, a line of eager Parisians formed, towels in hand, waiting for their chance to jump in.” Give a synonym and make a sentence.
  3. Define “threshold“. “Environmental authorities confirmed bacteria levels were well below official thresholds.” Give a synonym and make a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Share your reaction to this news.
  2. Do you think swimming in urban rivers should be encouraged in other cities? Why or why not?
  3. How might cleaning and maintaining rivers affect local communities and tourism?
  4. How can governments balance environmental preservation with public recreation?
  5. How could this initiative inspire other cities to focus on sustainable urban development?
  6. How would you feel if a polluted body of water in your city/country became safe for activities like swimming again?

Denmark Welcomes Return of Banned South Korean Noodles

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Spicy South Korean ramen noodles are back on Danish supermarket shelves, delighting fans who had missed the fiery instant noodles. The popular Buldak line from Samyang Foods was pulled from stores in June after authorities warned that its high capsaicin levels could pose health risks. Following a partial reversal of the ban, shoppers in central Copenhagen were able to get their hands on the hot noodles once again.

Read the article or watch the video to learn more.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/denmark-welcomes-return-banned-south-korean-noodles-rcna166391

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “contested” mean in this context? “Samyang, which sells the products worldwide, had contested the ban, and on Thursday celebrated the reversal by feeding its noodles to social media influencers, gathered on a ferry adorned in the firm’s bright-red colors on Copenhagen’s harbor.” Make a sentence with this. Give a synonym.
  2. What’s the meaning of “to exceed critical level“? “But the ban was lifted last month for two of the three variants after further examination of the spicy noodles showed that they did not exceed the critical capsaicin level.” Use this phrase in a sentence.
  3. What’s the meaning of “to pose risk“? “Stores in Denmark in June removed three variants of South Korean Samyang Foods’ Buldak instant ramen line after the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration found the noodles’ high capsaicin level posed a serious health risk.” Create a sentence and give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think the partial reversal of the ban was a good decision? Why or why not?
  2. How might cultural differences influence the popularity of spicy foods in different countries?
  3. What might be reasons foods and drinks could be prohibited in a country?
  4. Do you think Europe is an untapped market for spicy food products? Explain.
  5. How do you think food regulations should balance public safety and consumer choice?
  6. Talk about other food bans that you know of.
  7. What would you do if a food you loved was temporarily banned—would you wait for it to return or switch to alternatives?

Japan’s Legendary Sushi Chef Still Working at 100

B1 – Intermediate 

Jiro Ono is a very famous sushi chef from Japan. He decided not to quit work even after he turned 100.

Chef Ono believes working is the secret to living a long and healthy life. He has no plan to stop any time soon.

Read the article about Jiro Ono, the famous sushi chef in Japan who decided to continue working despite being 100 years old.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2510/251030-sushi-chef-jiro-ono.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “to retire from one’s job” mean? “Ono-san said he has no plans to retire from his job.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  2. What does “to keep going” mean? “I plan to keep going for about five more years.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  3. What does “to reach the top” mean? “I haven’t reached perfection yet. I’ll continue to climb and try to reach the top, but nobody knows where the top is.” Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about working even at 100 years old?
  2. Share your opinion on this: the best medicine is to work.
  3. What do you think is the secret to living a long and healthy life?
  4. How do centenarians in your country usually spend their life at that age?
  5. What do you think about Chef Ono’s sushi restaurant’s concept?
  6. Would you be interested to visit Sukiyabashi Jiro? Why or why not?

The Future of Fitness

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As we step into 2026, healthy living is evolving beyond the basics of diet and exercise into a more integrated, mindful, and sustainable approach.

Read the article to know why recent research by American College of Sports Medicine, the top trend in fitness is not just movement it’s how movement, technology, rest, and recovery work together.

The Future of Fitness: ACSM Announces Top Trends for 2026

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “outpace” mean? “Although guidelines exist for evaluating wearables, rapid innovation often outpaces validation.” Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does “wearable” mean? “When applied with intention, wearables enhance individualized coaching and help reinforce healthy habits over time. ” Use it in a sentence.
  3. What does “reinforce” mean? “Exercise professionals should consistently reinforce the unique role of exercise in sustainable weight outcomes and position themselves as trusted partners in this process. ” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What’s one healthy habit you’d like to start or improve this 2026?
  2. Do you think using fitness trackers really helps people stay consistent with exercise? Why or why not?
  3. How do you usually take care of your mental health or manage stress?
  4. Which do you find harder to maintain, eating healthy or getting enough sleep?
  5. How do you balance living healthy with enjoying your favorite comfort foods or lazy days?

Reptiles Waste Elimination Process and Treating Gout and Kidney Stones

B1 – Intermediate 

A team of researchers from Georgetown University and other research institutions in the USA have discovered the wonders of reptiles’ excreta and waste elimination processes.

Researchers think that the waste elimination processes of some reptiles could help prevent and treat conditions such as gout and kidney stones which are due to high uric acid.

Read the article about how understanding reptiles’ excretory system works could potentially be helpful in preventing and treating gout and kidney stones.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2510/251027-snake-pee-crystals.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “excrete” mean? “This research was really inspired by a desire to understand the ways reptiles are able to excrete this material safely, in the hope it might inspire new approaches to disease prevention and treatment.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
  2. What does “to pass water” mean here, “Our bodies flush most of the uric acid waste away when we pass water.”? Use the idiom in a sentence. 
  3. What does “untapped bounty of something” mean? “The natural world contains a yet-to-be-discovered, untapped bounty of remedies to help doctors.” Use the phrase in a sentence. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain how reptiles’ waste elimination process could help treat uric acid-related health problems like gout and kidney stones.
  2. Share your thoughts on the results of this study.
  3. What are some things you know about gout and kidney stones?
  4. Talk about the other ways to manage and prevent gout and kidney stones.