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

Japan’s move to end ‘death by overwork’ will drag economic growth: Deutsche Bank

2017年3月7日

Business - I

  Pre-reading questions: What do you think about working time? What do you do during your free time?   Deutsche Bank says that reducing overtime work could affect Japanese economic growth. Laborious industries are said to suffer the most due to manpower shortage. Reducing overtime was deemed as a solution to reduce cases of “karoshi” or death by overwork. Deutsche Bank expect companies to limit overime to avoid negative publicity. However, this move is directly proportional to profits as decreasing overtime work will also decrease profits and sales. The pursuit to cut extended working hours was strengthened after the suicide of an advertising firm employee who rendered more than 100…
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Intermediate

How insomnia impacts the body

2017年3月6日

Health - Beginner

  Pre-reading questions: Have you experienced sleeping for a few hours? What was the longest sleep you’ve had?   A recent study shows that sleeping habits of most people are at worst nowadays – sleeping between five to seven hours. One third of these individuals are having insomnia rooted from stress. It is now harder to doze off for eight full hours as anxiety and stress levels of each person increase. One can actually experience how insomnia can affect his or her body. Aside from anxiety increasing, a sleep-deprived person would either slump all afternoon or get hyper all night, munch carbs more than the norm, and crave for more…
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Intermediate