Intermediate

Hongkong’s Ghost Island comes to life

2017年2月21日

Lifestyle

  Pre-reading questions: Do you like to travel? Why? Where is your favorite country/town/city? Why? Do you like modern or historical art? Why?   An isolated island in Hong Kong previously named as Yim Tin Sai or “Ghost Island” is slowly returning to life. Yim Tin Sai also means “Salt Pan” in Cantonese. It was Hong Kong’s salt pan for over hundred years. Due to competition against nearby countries like Vietnam and Thailand, the pans slowly shut down. People from the island fled to seek for education in the city. Colin Chan, the previous village representative, saw a decaying island when he came back. He decided to dedicate his life…
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Intermediate

Teacherless university opens in California

2017年2月15日

  Pre-reading questions: What is your favorite subject in school/university? What do you like about your school/university? What are the unique characteristics of your school/university?   Ecole 42, France’s teacherless university, opened it’s branch in California last October. 42 originated from Paris 3 years ago. Unlike typical schools, students here take charge of their own learning. They have the freedom to work at their own pace on their preferred projects. 21 levels must be completed to graduate. However, they will not be granted any certificate. Without any professors to guide them, the students confide in peer learning. The students are also responsible for checking each other’s work. The benefactors of…
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Intermediate

Singer handles drunk man on Korean Air flight

2017年2月9日

World News - Intermediate

  Pre-reading questions: Who do you think is the most popular artist in your country? Why is s/he popular? How do you protect yourself in public? Do you post your activities on social media?   A drunk South Korean passenger attacked some airline staff during a flight from Hanoi, Vietnam to Seoul, South Korea last Tuesday, December 20. Female flight attendants spent four hours trying to calm the drunk man down. One of the passengers of the said flight were Richard Marx, a popular 80’s singer, and his wife. Marx, along with other male passengers, tried to restrain the drunk man. The drunk passenger became more aggressive and violent. The…
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Intermediate

Headmistress buys illegal jammer to block students’ internet use

2017年2月9日

  Pre-reading questions: Do you often use the internet? Does too much internet cause any bad effect? In what way? About how many hours a day do you use the internet?   It has been a concern for the headmistress of Wensleydale School and Sixth Form College that children were unable to concentrate in lessons because of the internet. For this reason, the headmistress wanted to utilize on mobile phone jamming to hinder the students from getting distracted. The headmistress of Wensleydale School and Sixth Form College was dismayed at student’s preoccupation with their smartphones. A letter was sent to parents by the headmistress, clarifying recent matters and that she…
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Intermediate

Pilot gives tips for coping with jet lag

2017年2月8日

  Pre-reading questions: Have you experienced jet lag during your flight? What happens to people who experience jet lag? How do you beat jet lag?   For pilots, managing jet lag is a job requirement since they are spending their days and nights flying across all kinds of time zones. According to R.J. “Dutch” Deutschendorf, system chief pilot at Southwest Airlines, pilots should know how to deal with fatigue. For this reason, their airline company’s training program incorporates ways pilots can cope with jet lag. To manage jet lag, passengers should stay hydrated at all times and limit their caffeine intake. It is best recommended to drink water instead of…
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Intermediate

Onsen adds sake into baths

2017年2月7日

  Pre-reading questions: Do you often visit hot springs? What are the benefits of bathing in a hot spring? Tell me about the last time you visited a hot spring.   Some ryokans (japanese inns) have introduced “furosshu”, which offers guests the experience of bathing in an onsen (hot spring) where local sake (rice wine) is combined. Visitors get the chance to soak in a sake-onsen every 26th of the month in ten onsen districts located in Niigata Prefecture. Sake-onsen guests will benefit from different skin treatments. Amino acid in sake is a potent moisturizer which is good for brightening the skin. Satisfied customers continue to rave about the positive…
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Intermediate

Modernization puts Chinese tea houses under threat

2017年2月6日

Pre-reading questions: How often do you visit a coffee shop/tea house? What do you enjoy doing while sitting in a tea house/coffee shop? Which do you prefer more: traditional tea house or modern coffee shop? Why? Traditional tea houses were built for relaxation and excitement during Qing Dynasty. Before, it was an exclusive place for males in politics and business. Nowadays, the common guests in tea houses are tourists and the older generation. Guests can enjoy scented teas and play card games or chinese chess. They can also experience traditional ear cleaning, eye brow plucking, and shoe shining. Today, tea houses in Chengdu, China are at risk from the country’s…
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Intermediate

University entrance examinations across Japan

2017年2月2日

Pre-reading questions: Do you get nervous when you take tests? What do you do after taking a difficult exam? Have you ever cheated on a test? High school graduates in Japan have completed the unified college entrance examinations. It is a 2-day examinations that ended last Sunday at 691 sites. Due to the stern weather, some sites were forced to reschedule. According to a student who took the tests at Tokyo Institute of Technology, she was delighted that the tests were over and will work harder in preparation for the next lap of examinations for the university she hopes to study in. Some sites encountered delays in starting the tests…
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Intermediate

McDonald’s sells off over 2,000 outlets in China, HK

2017年2月1日

Business - I

  Pre-reading questions: How often do you eat burgers? Do you like McDonald’s? Do you visit other foreign fast food chains in your area?   McDonald’s has handed 80% of its operations worth $2.1 billion to Citic group and Carlyle group. The two firms will take over 2,000 McDonald’s outlets in China and Hongkong. Under the new partnership, Citic takes a 52% stake while Carlyle handles 28% of the share. The American fast food chain keeps the remaining portion of 20%. This step is in line with the company’s goal to add more outlets in China, Hongkong and South Korea in the next 5 years.Yum brands, the owner of KFC…
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Intermediate

Tornadoes kill 18 in southern US

2017年1月30日

Pre-reading questions: Have you ever experienced a disaster? What are some kinds of disasters? What kind of disasters are common in your country? Areas in the southern part of the United States were hit by tornadoes causing 18 people to die while leaving 50 people wounded. The strong tornadoes and storms were brought by the severe weather in states of Georgia and Mississippi. These calamities caused casualties and damages in homes, roofs, cars, and trees. Some people shielded themselves in buildings which were left standing after the tornado. Georgia was declared under state of emergency in the badly affected area to give support to the residents and to evaluate the…
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Intermediate