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Netflix Reaches Almost All Countries in the World

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services in the whole world today. It was once only accessible in 60 countries. But more recently, it has expanded to over 130 countries worldwide. Millions of additional subscribers are expected to join the company in the near future.

Read the article about Netflix.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/entertainment/netflix-reaches-almost-all-countries-in-world.htm

  1. Do you use Netflix? Why or why not?
  2. What is the most used streaming platform in your country?
  3. How would you compare Netflix to the other platforms that you use?
  4. China is the only major country, where Netflix has not yet made its services available. What is your opinion on this?
  5. How can Netflix maintain its popularity?

Instagram Celebrates 5th Anniversary

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Instagram, the world’s most popular photo-sharing app, is five years old. Instagram’s success can be attributed to a variety of factors. For starters, you can publish photos and videos on other social media platforms. Facebook paid a billion dollars for Instagram in 2012. As a result, the social media behemoth has poured millions of dollars into making Instagram even more appealing to users.

Read the article about Instagram and how it was founded.

https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/entertainment/instagram-celebrates-5th-anniversary.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you use Instagram? Why or why not?
  2. What do you think of this app?
  3. What changes did you notice after Facebook bought Instagram?
  4. In your opinion, what factors led to the success of Instagram?
  5. Do you think Instagram will eventually lose its importance and appeal to its users? Discuss your opinion.

Death Sentence of a Man with Learning Disabilities

B2 – Upper Intermediate

One of the basic principles of a civilized country is that the punishment should fit the crime. There are different forms of punishment depending on the severity of the crime committed. However, when the offender is not of sound mind or has intellectual disabilities the same punishment may not fit the crime.

Read the article on how Singapore court upholds death sentence of man with learning disabilities.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/29/singapore-appeal-court-upholds-death-sentence-for-nagaenthran-k-dharmalingam

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree with the Singaporean court’s decision on this case? Explain your stand.
  2. What is the punishment for drug traffickers in your country?
  3. How should offenders with disabilities be dealt with in the criminal justice system?
  4. Has there been any controversial legal case in your country that has drawn massive condemnation? Talk about it.

Russian Athletes Face Backlash

B2 – Upper Intermediate

War is never good and it results in unspeakable crimes against humanity. Generally, ordinary people do not support wars. However, there are some who do and this is made even more controversial when these popular personalities such as athletes do it in an international sports event.

Read the article about Russian athletes expressing their support for the invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/mar/23/russian-athletes-face-backlash-after-wearing-z-symbol-at-putin-rally

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of Russian athletes openly supporting the war?

2. What is your opinion on some major sport organizers banning athletes from countries at war?

3. Talk about some sports personalities you know of who have received backlash for publicly supporting controversial actions or ideologies?

4. Is it fair for sponsors to pull out because this? Explain your point.

Sleep and Light

B1 – Intermediate

Sleep is essential for all humans and animals. Without sleep, our bodies won’t have the time to rest and recharge. However, it’s not only about the number of hours that matter, but also the conditions under which we sleep.

Researchers have discovered that sleeping with the lights on can cause serious health problems. Now, sleeping in the dark not only makes sense, but could also have huge benefits on our overall health.

Read the article below to learn about the effects on our health when we sleep in a brightly-lit room.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2203/220324-sleeping-with-the-light-on-1.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the conditions that allow you to sleep well?
2. Is the number of hours you sleep important to you? Why or why not?
3. How do you feel after a day or two without proper sleep?
4. How many days do you think, you can last with only a few hours of sleep?
5. Are apps that monitor sleep effective and helpful? Why or why not?
6. Do you monitor your sleeping patterns? Why or why not?
7. How do you deal with low energy during the day because of lack of sleep?

Plant-Based Diets

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Plant-based diets are getting extremely popular among communities and if you do your research, you’ll find that they are the way of life for many athletes and environmentalists.

Maybe you’re not a person who knows a lot about nutrition, though. This can make it hard for you to understand who or what sources you can trust.

Read the article to know more about veganism.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/plant-based-diet-food-list-meal-plan-benefits-more/

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have plant-based diets become more popular in your country recently? Why do you think this is? Share your observations on this trend.
  2. Do you think all vegetarian products are healthy? Explain your point.
  3. Why is a plant-based diet considered to be healthy?
  4. What are considered to be the biggest challenge for a vegan?
  5. What are your thoughts on plant-based diets?

Digital Detox Leads to Better Health and Lifestyle

B1 – Intermediate

People in this present generation are probably the most dependent on digital or electronic devices such as mobile phones, tables, and laptops. We use them so much that sometimes, we forget to “live”.

Read the article about the dangers digital devices bring to people and how digital detox can be beneficial to our health and lifestyle.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2203/220314-digital-detox-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about digital detox? 
  2. Would you be interested to do it too? Why or why not?
  3. Do you agree or disagree that people should consider digital detox? Explain.
  4. What are the negative effects of being too addicted to digital devices?
  5. What is the worst effect of digital devices to you?
  6. Do you know anyone with “nomophobia”? Describe him/her.

Plant-Based Diet Helps the Heart

B1 – Intermediate

Your parents probably told you when you were young that you have to eat your vegetables because they’re good for you. However, a new study found that we may not be greatly reducing the risk of heart attacks by eating a lot of veggies because there are many other factors that may affect our heart.

Read more about the study on how plant-based diet helps our heart.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2203/220310-plant-based-diet-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree that people should eat lots of vegetables? Explain.
  2. What are the other things that can affect our heart?
  3. Money and lifestyle also affect the heart. What is your opinion on this?
  4. How important is eating vegetables to you?
  5. What can you tell someone who doesn’t like eating vegetables too much/at all?

‘Time Poverty’ Robs Parents of Success

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We could only have enough time for everything. Overscheduling and overtiredness can affect the wealthy and the poor alike. If you’re an average citizen, you’d call this your normal ‘lifestyle,’ but if you’re a scholar, you’d label it as ‘time poverty.’

Do you ever notice how we never seem to have enough time for everything? For those people with children, they have even less – and the problem of ‘time poverty’ has never been more highlighted.

To learn more about the challenges of ‘time poverty,’ read the full text.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220201-the-time-poverty-that-robs-parents-of-success

Discussion Questions:

  1. What causes time poverty for parents?
  2. How does time poverty affect you?
  3. Do you generally have enough stamina before or after work to do something enjoyable? How do you make the most of your free time?
  4. How do you believe people with children can bridge the gap between having children and pursuing their work objectives?
  5. How do you strike a balance between your professional and personal life if you are also a parent?
  6. What can companies and government do to ensure people with children have good work-life balance?

How to Live with Your Regrets

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is not always convenient to do the things that have made people who they are, having put in place from a range of perspectives and mishaps. People like to say things like “the past is just a history” and “it has no contribution to my life now,” or “I have no remorse.”

But the matter must be disclosed. Failures and circumstances contribute significantly in shaping us into who we are today.

Take a look at the full text to know how to live life with regrets.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220207-how-to-live-with-your-regrets

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can regrets help us develop?
  2. How has some things that you regret affected or changed you?
  3. Were your hopes and dreams as a child fulfilled? Why or why not?
  4. Think about relationship experiences you’ve had that you regret.
  5. How can one cope with the regrets they carry with them?
  6. Why is life full of regrets?