Intermediate

Sony and Honda team up to build and sell electric cars

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What are some popular Sony products in your country right now? How often do you receive car sales brochures/flyers? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. joint /joint/ [adjective] – belonging to or shared between two or more people This is a joint project between the university and the town hall. establish /ih-STAB-lish/ [verb] – to start a company or organization that will continue for a long time They will establish a new organization next year. agreement /uh-GREE-muhnt/ [noun] – a decision or arrangement, often formal and written, between two or more…
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Several European countries accept Ukrainian refugees

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© GETTY IMAGES via BBC News Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Have you been to a European country? If so, how was it? If not, which nation would you like to visit and why? Do you have a foreign friend? Please tell me more about him or her. Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. invasion /in-VEY-zhuhn/ [noun] – an occasion when an army or country uses force to enter and take control of another country They were planning on a full-scale invasion of the north. refugee /ref-yoo-JEE/ [noun] – a person who has escaped from their…
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Planet orbiting a “white dwarf” star potentially supports life

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Do you believe that there is life on other planets? Please elaborate on your answer. Could you give three reasons why Earth is habitable? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. capable /KEY-puh-buhl/ [adjective] – having the ability, power, or qualities to be able to do something I believe your idea is capable to be enhanced. identify /ahy-DEN-tuh-fahy/ [verb] – to recognize someone or something and say or prove who or what that person or thing is Even a newborn can identify its mother’s voice. initially /ih-NISH-uh-lee/ [adverb] – at the beginning The…
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Mud, dirt, and sweat: the true essences of having fun

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What was your favorite playground/park when you were a child? What did you like about it the most? How do you define “fun” in your own words? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. surroundings /sr-OWN-duhngz/ [noun] – the place where someone lives and the conditions they live in My grandparents used to live in quiet yet beautiful surroundings. urban /UR-buhn/ [adjective] – of or in a city or town People in urban areas make up most of the country’s population. influence /IN-floo-uhns/ [noun] – the power to have an effect on…
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The suffocating expectation of 24-hour, seven-day-a-week digital accessibility

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. How do you feel when someone has not replied to your text message? How many minutes does it take you to reply to someone’s text message? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. concerned /kuhn-SURND/ [adjective] – worried I’m a little concerned about my mother’s health. respond /ri-SPOND/ [verb] – to say or do something as a reaction to something that has been said or done He responded to every question asked to him. remote /ri-MOHT/ [adjective] – far away in distance Australia is huge and remote from the world’s major population…
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How to exercise for better balance

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. How often do you encounter exercise/workout videos on the internet? What is physical education like in your country? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. control /kuhn-TROHL/ [noun] – the act of controlling something or someone, or the power to do this He needs better control of the baseball bat. key /kee/ [adjective] – very important and having a lot of influence on other people or things A clear plan is a key factor for success. pattern /PAT-ern/ [noun] – a particular way in which something is done, is organized, or happens…
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There are more tree species on the planet than we originally predicted

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Have you been to a tropical forest before? Could you share something about it? What comes to mind after reading the title of the article? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. species /SPEE-sheez/ [noun] – a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other Mountain gorillas are a rare species in the wild. tropical /TROP-i-kuhl / [adjective] – extremely hot My dream is to live on a tropical island. rely on /ri-LAHY on/ [phrasal verb] – to need…
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What breakfast looks like in the Philippines

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What time do you usually wake up in the morning? Which do you prefer, sunny-side-up, scrambled, or boiled egg? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. pantry /PAN-tree/ [noun] – a small room or large cupboard in a house where food is kept Dani spent 2 hours organizing the pantry. typically /TIP-i-klee/ [adverb] – used when you are giving an average or usual example of a particular thing Tickets for these festivals will typically cost around forty dollars. root /root/ [noun] – origins Today, we learned about the roots of French language….
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Israeli strawberry breaks Guinness World Record as the world’s heaviest

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©Amir Cohen/Reuters via CNN Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. How often do you eat strawberries? What vegetables do you eat during the winter season? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. confirmation /kon-fer-MEY-shuhn/ [noun] – a statement of proof that something is true The museum just sent a confirmation for the painting we found. break a record /breyk-a-REK-erd/ [idiom] – to do something better than the best known speed, time, number, etc. previously achieved He will try to break a record at the competition next month. unusually /uhn-YOO-zhoo-uhl-lee/ [adverb] – more than is usual or expected, or…
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Space travel damages red blood cells quicker than on Earth

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do you think of space travel? What do you think of the health risk of space travel? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. occur /uh-KUR/ [verb] – (especially of accidents and other unexpected events) to happen If any of these symptoms occur while taking the medicine, contact your doctor right away. gather /GATH-er/ [verb] – to collect several things, often from different places or people She gathered the newspapers that had been scattered about the room. calculate /KAL-kyuh-leyt / [verb] – to judge the amount or value of something by using…
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