Intermediate

Amsterdam to unleash self-driving boats

2017年3月14日

World News - Intermediate

  Pre-reading questions: Do you like to travel by water? Have you ever ridden a boat? What do you think about self-driving vehicles?   Self-driving boats called “Roboats” will head for the waterways in Amsterdam in 2017. This is a product of a $27 million partnership between the Massachusets Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), and will be a solution to public transport through water . Dr. Stephan van Djk, the research program manager at AMS, says that they will try to shift the transport of goods and people to the waterways to ‘get people out of their cars and reduce traffic in…
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Intermediate

Nokia releases a revamped version of 3310

2017年3月14日

technology

Pre-reading questions: What features are you looking for in a mobile phone or tablet? Have you used a classic phone with just voice and text messaging features? Have you heard of the 3310 mobile phone? Nokia has come up with a new version of the popular 3310 model. It has the basic features of what you need on a daily phone – text messaging, Opera Mini browser, MP3 player, a 2MP camera, 2 sim card slots, and the classic Snake game. It will be available on the second quarter of the year with glossy red and yellow; and matte blue and gray colors. The new 3310 aims to encourage people…
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Intermediate

Sunflowers light up Pangasinan in Philippines

2017年3月13日

Lifestyle

  Pre-reading questions: How many flowers can you name in your language and what are they? Do you have what a green thumb means? Have you visited a flower garden?   The sunflower maze, located in Pangasinan, is now the talk of the town. With the support of Allied Botanical Corporation, the local government, and the Department of Tourism, Tayug farmers were able to build the Sunflower maze. With its dazzling landscape view, photos, videos and posts about the Sunflower maze have been regularly posted and shared on social media. Since there is an average of 1,500 visitors per day, the exhibit of sunflowers brought extra profit to local farmers,…
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Intermediate

Dirty environments cost young children’s lives

2017年3月13日

Health - Beginner

  Pre-reading questions: Do you agree that having a dirty environment is bad to our health? Please explain your answer. How can you help in keeping the environment clean?   World Health Organization states that every year, almost 1.7 million children aged 5 and below die due to pollution. The most common causes of child deaths are diarrhea due to unsafe drinking water, lung diseases caused by air pollution and secondhand smoke, malaria and pneumonia. As early as one month old, these kids are being exposed to pollutants, making them vulnerable as they grow older. Both indoor and outdoor pollution impacts a lot on a child’s developing body and health….
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Intermediate

Vegemite brand back in Australian ownership

2017年3月10日

Business - I

Pre-reading questions: Do you know any foreign food brand? Do you purchase from foreign food brands? Do you know Vegemite? Vegemite brand is under Australian management once again after Bega Cheese acquired it from Mondelez International. Including ZoOSH mayonnaise and Bonox beef extract, the deal was closed at A$460 million. On the other hand, Mondelez International said they would prioritize main brands in New Zealand and Australia, such as Cadbury and Oreos. Bega Executive Chairman Barry Irvin said the brand Vegemite upholds the wonderful heritage of Australian culture which makes this investment exciting. Australians lost the brand to American food company Kraft in 1935, though its manufacturing process stayed in…
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Intermediate

Italy’s rarest pasta revealed

2017年3月10日

Lifestyle

Pre-reading questions: What Italian food is famous in your country? Do you like Italian food? Do you know how to cook any Italian dish? The rarest pasta in the world is at risk of becoming extinct. Su filindeu’s recipe is well kept in the Abraini family and is passed down from generation to generation. At present, only 3 women from the clan know how to make it. The preparation is so difficult that in the last 200 years, the dish has only been served to people who finish a 33km-pilgrimage in their area for the Feast of San Francesco. Semolina wheat, water and salt are the ingredients to making su…
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Intermediate

Cancer drugs may threaten the heart

2017年3月10日

Health - Beginner

Pre-reading questions: What came to mind when you read the title above? Do you think medicines are always effective? Medicines that can treat cancer can result to heart damage. They are known as checkpoint inhibitors. There are currently four checkpoint inhibitors in the market. They are used to treat six types of cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors are sometimes mixed with one another for better results. They are lifesaving drugs that can lead to deaths in rare cases. Less than 1 percent of cancer patients taking them have suffered heart failures. They somehow destroy the immune system and the heart. Doctors are still researching for treatment for heart problems caused by these…
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Intermediate

Parents to be penalized if children are always late for school

2017年3月9日

Education - I

Pre-reading questions: What time do you usually go to school or work? How do you record your attendance in school or work? How do you manage to avoid tardiness in school, in work, or in meeting? Parents could face court action or even jail for their children’s habitual tardiness. In the recent newsletter sent by Catherine Stalham, parents were advised that the school will be issuing penalties of as much as £60 if their kids missed the 9:00 am registration. Constant tardiness will lead to the issuance of a fixed penalty notice. If penalties aren’t settled within 28 days, parents or guardians may then be arraigned in court. It was…
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Intermediate

Turkish international school ‘bans’ Christmas

2017年3月9日

World News - Intermediate

  Pre-reading questions: How is Christmas celebrated in your country? Is there an international school near your area?   German media report that an international school in a predominantly Muslim Istanbul bans Christmas celebrations and teachings. It was said that staff at the international school Istanbul Lisesi were told that Christmas traditions and carol-singing would no longer be allowed. Istanbul Lisesi is a Turkish-German school attended by Turkish students but partly subsidized by the German government. Spiegel Online reports that teachers were instructed not to teach about German Christmas Traditions during class as well as to remove Advent calendars from the classrooms. German Politicians were outraged with the actions of…
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Intermediate

Asian Olympic leader favored Sapporo for 2026 Winter Games bid

2017年3月7日

Sports - Intermediate

  Pre-reading questions: Have you ever experienced watching a Winter Olympic game live? Please explain your answer. Which Winter Olympic sport do you or would like to play? Please explain your answer.   Olympic Council Asian president Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah said Sapporo has all the facilities needed to organize the Winter Olympics. Sapporo anchored the Winter Games in 1972 and city officials are considering a bid for 2026. It would mean the IOC would return to a city in Asia for a third time following Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 and Beijing. China in 2022. Sapporo does have several facilities being used for the Asian Winter Games,…
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Intermediate