Tag Archive: world news – beginner

Pre-reading questions: Do you like drinking water? Why or why not? Is water important? Please explain your answer Vocabulary: resident /REZ-i-duhnt/ [noun] someone who lives in a place They are both residents of the same dormitory. shortage /SHAWR-tij/ [noun] a lack of something that you need or want There’s a shortage of hospital beds. population /pop-yuh-LEY-shuhn/ [noun] all the people living in a country, area, or place What is the population of Tokyo? climate /KLAHY-mit/ [noun] the general weather in a place The climate of Japan is mild usage /YOO-sij/ [noun] the process of using something I don’t understand the usage of this word. Residents of Cape Town, South Africa…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: Is it easy to borrow some money in your country? Please explain your answer. Is it a bad habit to borrow money from friends? Please explain your anwer. Vocabulary: credit [noun] – a method of buying products that allows you to pay for them in the future The bank offered her a small business credit. behavior [noun] – the way someone acts Anna is tired of her brother’s behavior. borrower [noun] – a person who owes money A borrower should always pay what he owes. billboard [noun] – a large outdoor board for displaying advertisements I saw my friend’s picture on billboard. ban [verb] – to prevent someone…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: Do you enjoy traveling abroad? What countries would you like to visit on your next trip? Vocabulary: missile [noun] – a weapon thrown to strike something at a distance Everybody was worried about the missile attack. assure [verb] – to promise or tell something to someone confidently or firmly The governor assured the voters that taxes will be the same. counter [verb] – to oppose or stop something or reduce its negative effect He countered their proposal with a different suggestion. nuclear [adjective] – relating to a weapon with destructive power Nuclear weapons are a threat to all humanity. moreover [adverb] – used to add information It was…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: What do you think is the most powerful country in the world? Describe Japan in one word. Vocabulary: colonization [noun] – to take control of another country by living there or sending people to live there The European colonization began in 1492. influence [noun] – the power to make other people agree with your opinion or do what you want Celebrities influence fashion. era [noun] – a period of history or a long period of time We are living in an era of fast technological advancement. bold [adjective] – not afraid to do things which involve risk or danger Hiring a fresh graduate is a bold move.  …
Read more

Pre-reading questions: Do you love attending festivals? Why? Have you ever experienced attending an event with foreign people? Vocabulary: 1. ethnic – [adjective] characteristic of a large group of people who have the same national, racial, or cultural origins There are ethnic groups living in my area. 2. venue [noun] – location of any event They will conduct the event in an open field. 3. banned [adjective] – forbidden by law The event is banned due to its rules. 4. exclude [verb] – to stop from being included or accepted They decided to exclude white people in the festival. The Nyansapo festival in the city of Paris is set to…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: Do you know the Dalai Lama? Have you ever been to India? Vocabulary: title [noun] – a name that tells a person’s position or job The title given to our highest leader is president. political leader [noun] – someone who is active in politics We should all respect our political leaders. spiriatual leader [noun] – a leader in religious or sacred affairs It is not easy to become a spiritual leader. flee [verb] – run away from a place that is dangerous; to escape We fled the country because of too much fighting. exile [noun] – a person who left his/her country to live in another country for…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: Do you think your country is making enough money? Why? Or Why not? What does your country do to make money? North Korea is one of the most closed economies in the world. They earn money from selling tons of coal to China every year, trade basic goods abroad, hack banks in 18 countries, and force their citizens to work abroad. John Park, the director of the Korea Working Group at Harvard Kennedy school, believes Pyeongyang has kept a lot of money in China. These money can support North Korea’s weapons programs. Moreover, North Korea can easily avoid penalties from the global financial system by keeping their money…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: What kind of awards have you received so far? What do you do to keep your house safe? Kailash Satyarthi received a Nobel Peace Prize award last 2014. His Nobel medal and certificate were stolen. No one saw the thief stealing the awards. Mr. Satyarthi said that the lock of his house was broken and his awards were stolen. Kailash Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace Price last 2014 because he likes helping children. His efforts saved children from working dangerously. Vocabulary: receive [verb] – get something stolen [verb] – (past participle of steal)take without the owner’s approval award [noun] – prize for achieving something effort [noun] – hard work…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: Do you think America and Japan have a good relationship? Do you think President Donald Trump is a good leader? Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited US President Donald Trump. The meeting happened a few days after Donald Trump’s win in the 2016 elections. The Prime Minister is the first state leader to visit Trump after the elections. According to the US Department of State, the relationship between Japan and the United States is important to Asia’s economy. The prime minister is planning another visit later this year. Vocabulary: visit [verb] – to go to a place in order to look at it, or to a person in order…
Read more

Pre-reading questions: How do you prepare for an important ceremony? What do you think of President Donald Trump? Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States of America, replacing Barack Obama in the White House. Trump became president at noontime of January 20. The main ceremony was held at the White House followed by many parties around Washington DC. The official inauguration ceremony was held in front of the Capitol. After the inauguration, Donald Trump gave his first speech as the president. Vocabulary: inauguration [noun] – the act of putting someone into an official position with a ceremony president [noun] – head of state replace [verb] – change;…
Read more