Beginner

Asian cooks: Cooking up game plans amidst the lockdown

street food

Pre-Reading Questions: Do you like ordering food online? Do you know how to cook? Vocabulary: cook /kook/ [noun] – someone who prepares and cooks food I love eating at home because my mother is a great cook. customer /KUHS-tuh-mer/ [noun] – a person who buys goods or a service: especially by trading with other countries The customer requested extra sauce for his pasta. center /SEN-ter/ [noun] – a building, office, etc. that is used for a particular business or activity They made their building into an evacuation center during the typhoon. help /help/ [verb] – to make it possible or easier for someone to do something, by doing part of…
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Meet Gli, Hagia Sophia’s celebrity cat

Gli

© hagiasophiacat on Instagram via hagiasofiaturkey.com Pre-Reading Questions: Do you have a pet? What is your favorite animal? Vocabulary: build /bild/ [verb] – to make something by putting bricks or other materials together The workers are building the house. tabby /TAB-ee/ [noun] – (a cat) having dark-coloured marks on grey or brown fur Lindsay has a tabby cat. star /stahr/ [noun] – a very famous, successful, and important person, especially a performer such as a musician, actor, or sports player Paul was the basketball star of their batch. visit /VIZ-it/ [verb] – to go to a place in order to look at it, or to a person in order to…
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80,000 tourists begin evacuation from Da Nang, Vietnam

c1_1958323

© Reuters via Bangkok Post Pre-reading questions: Have you been to Vietnam? What country do you want to visit after the pandemic is over? Vocabulary: tourist /TOOR-ist/ [noun] someone who visits a place for pleasure and interest, usually while on holiday Angela is an American tourist visiting Kyoto. return /ri-TURN/ [noun] an occasion when someone goes or comes back to a place where they were before Saki’s return to Odaiba is moved next week. daily /dey-LEE/ [adverb] happening on or relating to every day I make sure to eat three meals daily. fill out /fil out/ [phrasal verb] to write or type information in spaces that are provided for it…
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Carbon emissions decrease during COVID-19 pandemic

weblionews-cleancity

Pre-reading questions: Do you think climate change is getting worse? Do you follow the “stay at home” rule in your place? Vocabulary: amount /uh-MOUNT/ [noun] a collection or mass, especially of something that cannot be counted The bank contains a large amount of money. equal /EE-kwuhl/ [adjective] the same in amount, number, or size All of us are equal under the law. satisfied /SAT-is-fahyd/ [adjective] pleased because you have got what you wanted, or because something has happened in the way that you wanted Be satisfied with it or get nothing. reduce /ri-DOOS/ [verb] to become or to make something become smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc. We’ll need…
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Kevin Mayer passes over a Disney top job to set off as TikTok CEO

Disney

© Photo: Disney via Deadline Pre-reading questions: Have you watched Disney shows on live stream? What Disney shows do you like? Vocabulary: announce /uh-NOUNS/ [verb] – to make something known or tell people about something officially The president announced that we are all finally free from COVID-19. giant /JAHY-uh nt/ [adjective] – extremely large A giant spacecraft is going to be deployed to outer space this month. gain /geyn/ [verb] – to get something that is useful, that gives you an advantage, or that is in some way positive, especially over a period of time She makes new strategies to gain more followers. user /YOO-zer/ [noun] – someone who uses a…
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Japan way back 10,000 years ago

Japan

Pre-Reading Questions: Why do you think people go to a museum? What type of entertainment do you do in your free time? Vocabulary: generation /jen-uh-REY-shuh n/ [noun] – all the people of about the same age within a society or within a particular family The royal crown is passed down to this generation’s queen. museum /myoo-ZEE-uh m/ [noun] – a building where objects of historical, scientific, or artistic interest are kept All the students were amazed by Van Gogh’s paintings in the museum. symbolize /SIM-buh-lahyz/ [verb] – to represent something The color blue symbolizes the sky and sea. performance art /per-FAWR-muh ns ahrt/ [noun] – a type of theatre entertainment in which the…
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Pittsburgh International Airport tests UV robot cleaners to fight COVID-19

UV robots

© Photo: Pittsburgh International Airport Pre-reading questions: Do you like robots? Have you ever seen a robot? Vocabulary: airport /AIR-pawrt/ [noun] a place where aircraft regularly take off and land, with buildings for passengers to wait in A female foreigner from Japan is waiting for her brother at the airport. machine /muh-SHEEN/ [noun] a piece of equipment with several moving parts that uses power to do a particular type of work The machines are working perfectly fine. replace /ri-PLEYS/ [verb] to change something that is old, damaged, lost, etc. for something newer or better It’s now time to replace the old books with new ones. disinfection /dis-in-FEK-shuhn/ [noun] the process…
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An antigen to rapidly detect the novel coronavirus ready to use in Japan

antigen

Pre-reading questions: Do you follow social-distancing? Do you follow the news around the world on social media? Vocabulary: last /lahst/ [adjective] – the most recent or the one before the present one I joined the summer camp last March 16. national /NASH-uhnl/ [adjective] – relating to all parts of a nation or to a nation as a whole rather than to any part of it The national health service hotline is not working. program /PROH-gram/ [noun] – a plan of activities to be done or things to be achieved The E2E program would generate a lot of new jobs. often /AW-fuhn/ [adverb] – a lot or many times The doctor…
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Endangered African black rhinos gradually increase in number

rhino

Pre-reading questions: Do you like animals? What is your favorite animal? Vocabulary: still /stil/ [adverb] – continuing to happen or continuing to be done I’m still writing my report. southwestern /south-WEST-tern/ [adjective] – in or from the southwest They have been to the southwestern side of the country. grow /groh/ [verb] – to increase in size or amount The population in this area grows quickly. danger /DEYN-jer/ [noun] – the possibility of harm or death You must know the dangers of smoking. improve /im-PROOV/ [verb] – to get better, or to make something better Melinda eats healthy foods to improve her health. A report from the International Union for Conservation…
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Is the two-meter rule enough for social distancing?

2 meter

Pre-Reading Questions: Do you wear face masks? Do you think scientists will find a cure for the coronavirus? Vocabulary: distance /DIS-tuhns/ [noun] – the amount of space between two places or things The distance from earth to the sun is about 150 million kilometers. another /uh-NUTH-er/ [determiner] – one more person or thing, or an extra amount I’m going to get another piece of paper. spend /spend/ [verb] – to use time doing something or being somewhere I spend two hours a day learning Spanish. possible /POS-uh-buhl/ [adjective] – that might or might not happen If possible, please email us before 12 o’clock. object /OB-jekt/ [noun] – a thing that…
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