Intermediate

The UK to host Eurovision Song Contest 2023

Audience with hands raised at a music festival and lights streaming down from above the stage. Soft focus, blurred movement.

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What is your favorite song genre? Why? Who is your favorite singer? Please tell me more about him/her. Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. arena /uh-REE-nuh/ [noun] – a large, flat area surrounded by seats used for sports or entertainment The basketball game will be held in the arena. assess /uh-SES/ [verb] – to make a decision about a person or situation after considering all the information The flood damage needs to be assessed. candidate /KAN-di-deyt/ [noun] – a person or thing considered likely to receive or experience something The English…
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The great fall foliage in Japan

colorful trees and rural road in deep autumn forest, natural background

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “autumn”? What is the best place to see the autumn leaves from where you live? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. gradually /GRAJ-oo-uh-lee/ [adverb] – slowly over a period of time or a distance She adjusted to the vegetarian diet gradually. canoe /kuh-NOO/ [verb] – to travel in a canoe (=a small, light, narrow boat, pointed at both ends and moved using a paddle) We navigated the lake by canoeing. trail /treyl/ [noun] – a path through a countryside, mountain, or…
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Gloucestershire students kayak 200 miles to raise awareness about pollution

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What kinds of water activities do you do? Could you please tell me more about it? What is an initiative you have taken that you are proud of? Please elaborate on your answer. Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. schedule /SKEJ-ool/ [verb] – to arrange an event or activity that will happen at a particular time The meeting will be scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. sample /SAM-puhl/ [noun] – a small amount of a substance or product that is tested to find out whether it is good, whether it contains a particular…
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Gbike buys Hyundai’s transportation business

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Can you ride a bicycle?? If so, please describe your experience. If not, how will you learn to do it? Do you know what an e-bike is? If so, please describe. If not, If so, could you guess what it is? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. source /SOHRS/ [noun] – the place something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something He is the source of information for their company. deal /DEEL/ [noun] – an agreement or an arrangement, especially in business Their deal is to get all…
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New electric car emerges

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What is your favorite brand of car, and why do you like it the most? Do you like electric cars? Why or why not? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. confidence /KON-fi-duhns/ [noun] – the quality of being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future I have confidence in her abilities. global /GLOH-buhl/ [adjective] – relating to the whole world The global pandemic never ends. statement /STEYT-muhnt/ [noun] – something that someone says or writes officially, or an action done to express an opinion…
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Science makes chocolate taste even better

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Why do people love chocolate so much? Do you like chocolates? Why or why not? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. unique /yoo-NEEK/ [adjective] – being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual, or special in some way I could recognize your handwriting anywhere because it is unique. conduct /kuhn-DUHKT/ [verb] – to organize and perform a particular activity The experiments were conducted by the students in my class. harvest /HAHR-vist/ [noun] – the activity or time of gathering a crop, or a crop that is gathered…
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Overqualified candidates having trouble finding jobs

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Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Could you tell me about your first interview experience? What are the requirements that are needed in your job position? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. ideal /ahy-DEEL-uhl/ [adjective] – perfect, or the best possible She’s exactly the ideal person for the job. outstanding /out-STAN-ding/ [adjective] – clearly very much better than what is usual His performance was outstanding. compromise /KOM-pruh-mahyz/ [noun] – an agreement in an argument in which the people involved reduce their demands or change their opinion in order to agree I hope a compromise is reached in…
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Re-wilding ourselves with nature books

Impressive summer sunrise on Eibsee lake with Zugspitze mountain range. Sunny outdoor scene in German Alps, Bavaria, Germany, Europe. Beauty of nature concept background.

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Which do you prefer, nature or cities? Why? Where in nature (the mountains, oceans, deserts, beaches, space, or forests) is it most beautiful? Why? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. heal /heel/ [verb] – if a bad situation or painful emotion heals, it ends or improves, and if something heals it, it makes it end or improve It’ll take time for her mental wounds to heal. tragedy /TRAJ-i-dee/ [noun] – a very sad event or situation, especially one involving death or suffering The plane crash was indeed a tragedy. emphasize /EM-fuh-sahyz/…
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Baidu introduces its new self-driving car

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©QIAN JIN/BAIDU via BBC News Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What are the most popular cars in your country? What do you think cars would be like in the future? Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. experience /ik-SPEER-ee-uhns/ [noun] – knowledge or skill that you get from doing, seeing, or feeling things, or the process of getting this We need to employ someone who has at least one year of experience in the marketing field. sensor /SEN-sawr/ [noun] – a device that discovers and reacts to changes in such things as movement, heat, and light Clothes…
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The country that is “seven years behind” the world

Location Ethiopia. Red pin on the map.

Pre-reading questions I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What month do you look forward to the most and why? What is the best month to visit your country? Please share the reasons as well. Vocabulary I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. Ethiopia /ee-thee-OH-pee-uh/ [noun] – a country in East Africa My family and I stayed in Ethiopia for four years. mark /mahrk/ [verb] – to represent something that has happened in the past or is about to happen Today marks the company’s tenth anniversary. unique /yoo-NEEK/ [adjective] – being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual,…
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