Advanced Topic Conversation material Lesson11-20
Read the article and have a discussion based on the following questions.
Lesson-11
Other People’s Faces May Affect the Food We Hate
Whether we like it or not, many of us will have found ourselves influenced by others when it comes to our likes and dislikes.
It often happens when we’re young — such as when the band your friend likes becomes your favorite too.
And according to a new study, it still affects us as adults, and even influences the way we feel about food.
Researchers from the UK wanted to find out how people’s facial expressions while eating vegetables affected the feelings of any people watching them.
So they got 205 young adult women to watch a video of other adults eating raw broccoli.
The people in the video reacted with either a positive, negative or neutral facial expression as they ate.
You can probably imagine what a negative facial expression would look like if you’ve seen children’s disgusted faces when given any food they don’t like!
And when the adults saw the negative expressions, they said it made them like broccoli less.
However, they also said it didn’t make them any less likely to want to eat it.
Interestingly, it didn’t work the other way around. When the participants saw people reacting with a positive facial expression, it didn’t make them like broccoli more or make them want to eat it.
That may be bad news for parents who like to try to encourage their children to eat vegetables by demonstrating their own enjoyment!
However, the study would suggest that parents still shouldn’t be showing disgust if they want their children to eat their broccoli!
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on the study’s findings?
3. What foods did you think were disgusting as a kid?
4. Would you describe yourself as a picky eater?
5. Who are the pickiest eaters you know?
6. Are you good at keeping a neutral expression when you dislike something?
7. What are your favorite vegetables? How often do you have them?
8. Do you know anyone who hates vegetables?
9. How adventurous are you when it comes to trying new food?
10. Are there any foods you used to dislike but enjoy now?
11. How has your diet changed over the years?
Lesson-12
Intermittent Fasting: The Secret to Better Health?
Elon Musk has done it. So has Jennifer Aniston. And British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak does it every week.
It’s the diet trend that has become popular around the world: intermittent fasting.
Johns Hopkins Medicine describes it as “an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule.”
Some of these schedules include the “5:2 diet,” which involves eating normally for five days a week and eating very little for two days. There’s also the “16:8” schedule, which means fasting for 16 hours a day and eating all of your food during the other eight hours.
Studies have found that intermittent fasting — particularly every-other-day fasting — can be about as effective as any other low-calorie diet for weight loss.
When we haven’t eaten for a number of hours, our bodies burn through all the calories stored in our muscles and liver, and begin burning fat instead.
And, as the Mayo Clinic notes, weight loss through intermittent fasting is probably about as effective as any other diet at reducing the risks of getting obesity-related diseases like diabetes and certain types of cancer.
But fans of intermittent fasting say the benefits go beyond weight loss.
A 2014 review in The New England Journal of Medicine noted that some studies had found that fasting may activate cell pathways that raise the body’s defenses against stress and reduce inflammation, which could offer extra benefits against things like arthritis.
However, a more recent review from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health noted that it’s still not clear what the diet’s long-term effects are, or even what type of fasting schedule is best for health benefits.
Some people also suffer from tiredness and headaches during their fasts. And experts say it’s not something that should be tried by children, or by people who are pregnant, who have a history of eating disorders, or suffer from conditions like diabetes.
One thing that everyone agrees on is this: if you’re thinking about doing intermittent fasting, it’s best to talk to your doctor first.
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on the potential benefits of intermittent fasting?
3. Have you tried intermittent fasting? If so, what method did you use?
4. Is intermittent fasting a popular diet trend in your country?
5. Are there any other diet trends that have become popular in your country in recent years?
6. In your opinion, what are the most effective ways to lose weight?
7. Have you made any changes to your diet recently?
8.Where do you get most of your advice about health and diet?
9. Who are the most health-conscious people you know?
10. What advice would you give to someone who’s trying to be healthier?
11. It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. — Jillian Michaels. What are your thoughts on this statement?
Lesson-13
Forever Young: Can This Millionaire Reverse Aging?
Bryan Johnson is a rich, successful businessman who is trying to find a way to reverse the aging process. He is spending around $2 million a year trying to do this, and he believes human beings don’t need to die.
Every day Johnson gets up at 4.30 a.m. and goes to bed at 8.30 p.m.
He eats three vegan meals a day, which are mostly made up of vegetables, berries and nuts — and finishes all of his meals by 11 a.m.
He takes over 100 supplements, exercises for one hour every day, and does extra high-intensity exercises three times a week.
He never goes out in the evening, never drinks alcohol, and never eats pizza or cookies.
Is it working?
Well, he has a team of doctors and health experts who measure his health and the condition of his organs. And they say he has reduced his biological age by at least 5 years.
Johnson wasn’t always so focused on his health.
In his 30s, he created a payment-processing company called Braintree, and after five years of working hard to make it a success, he sold his company to PayPal for $800 million.
By then, he was a very rich man, but he says he wasn’t happy and he wasn’t getting enough sleep. All that hard work left him stressed, depressed and overweight.
He decided to create a system of behaviors — which he calls “Blueprint” — that he believes he can depend on to live his healthiest life.
Johnson’s system has received some criticism. Some experts say that mixing so many different supplements might actually be bad for him and that his goals are unrealistic.
Other people say life probably isn’t worth living if you can’t enjoy things like pizza and cookies.
But speaking to Time, Johnson said, “I don’t really care what people in our time and place think of me. I really care about what the 25th century thinks.”
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on Bryan Johnson’s lifestyle? Do you think you’d be able to live like him?
3. Do you think it’s possible to reverse the aging process?
4. Do you agree with Johnson that human beings don’t need to die?
5. Do you agree that life isn’t worth living if you can’t enjoy unhealthy things?
6. What do you think the average lifespan will be in the 25th century?
7. Do you know anyone who takes their health very seriously?
8. Have you made any major changes to your lifestyle recently?
9. Do you know anyone who seems much younger than they really are?
10. Where do you get most of your advice about healthy living?
11. You need to be greedy or ignorant to truly want to live forever. ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana. What are your thoughts on this quote?
Lesson-14
Discovering Finland: The World’s Happiest Country
How much do you know about Finland? For six years in a row this country in northern Europe has been ranked the happiest in the world. Let’s find out more about it!
Finland is quite a young country. It was part of Sweden from the 12th century until 1809, when it became part of the Russian Empire — and it only became an independent country in 1917.
Finland has two national languages: Finnish and Swedish, but almost 90% of the population speak Finnish as their first language. And the language has some unusual words.
Vahingonilo (“VA-hing-on EE-lo”), for example, means enjoying someone else’s bad luck. And kalsarikännit (“KAL-sari KAHN-it”) means getting drunk in your underwear.
The far north of the country, called Finnish Lapland, is home to the Sami people — also known as Lapps — who speak the Sami language. This area has more reindeer (about 200,000) than people (about 180,000), and it’s a great place to see aurora borealis — the northern lights.
However, because winter in northern Finland is very long and cold, most people live in the south of the country.
Finns love nature. Almost two-thirds of Finland is covered in forest, and it has 56,000 lakes. Almost one-tenth of the country is covered with water! If you love kayaking, canoeing, hiking or cross-country skiing, this is the perfect place for you!
The most popular sport in Finland is ice hockey, but Finland is also home to a sport called wife-carrying. The wife-carrying world championships are held in Finland every year, and the top prize is the wife’s weight in beer.
Finns also love saunas and coffee. There are around 3 million saunas in Finland, and Finnish sauna culture has been recognized by UNESCO. Finns also drink more coffee — on average four cups a day — than anyone else in the world!
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. Do you see yourself visiting Finland at some point in the future?
3. Why do you imagine Finland has ranked as the happiest country in the world for six years in a row?
4. What are your thoughts on Finland’s wife-carrying sport? Does your country have any unique sports or activities?
5. Would you rather go kayaking, canoeing, hiking, or cross-country skiing?
6. Are saunas popular in your country? When was the last time you went to one?
7. Could you see yourself living in a place with very long and cold winters?
8. What areas of your country would you recommend to tourists who love nature?
9. Does your country have a big coffee-drinking culture? How has this changed over the years?
10. Are there many places in your country that have been recognized by UNESCO?
11. What would you say are the best things about living in your country?
Lesson-15
Lab-Grown Meat Moves Closer to US Stores
People in the US may soon be able to eat meat that has been grown in laboratories.
That’s after the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it had not found any problems with a product made by a company called Upside Foods.
The product is made by taking living cells from chickens or their eggs and growing them in a laboratory.
The company says that the cells from one chicken can create the same amount of meat as hundreds of thousands of farmed birds.
However, it still needs to pass some more tests before the meat can be sold.
Companies across the world have been experimenting with growing meat in laboratories, something that could help reduce the harmful effects of meat farming on the environment.
A report published in Nature Food in 2021 found that 57% of the greenhouse gasses that are produced in food production come from the farming of animals for meat.
In December 2020, Singapore became the first and, so far, only country to allow the sale of lab-grown meat. But the US could be next, if Upside Foods continues to show that its products are safe for people to eat.
The FDA said that it is working with other companies who are doing similar things with meat and seafood cells.
Lab-grown meats look almost the same as other meat products, but for many people the big question is: How do they taste?
Well, in recent years, some people have said they were not able to tell the difference between “real” meat and lab-grown meat.
But others weren’t so excited about the idea of lab-grown meat.
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on Upside Food’s FDA approval?
3. How would you feel about eating lab-grown meat?
4. Do you think lab-grown meats will become commonplace in your lifetime?
5. Have you tried any plant-based meat alternatives?
6. Do you know many vegans or vegetarians?
7. What meats are often used in your country’s cooking?
8. How meat-heavy is the typical diet in your country?
9. Do you know anyone who would never give up meat?
10. Have you been to any good vegan or vegetarian restaurants?
11. To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. — Mahatma Gandhi. What are your thoughts on this statement?
Lesson-16
25% of Irish 6-Year-Olds Own a Smartphone
One in four children in Ireland aged 6 years old owns a smartphone, new research finds.
A survey done for Irish online safety charity CyberSafeKids asked 900 parents with children aged 5 to 17 about their children’s smartphone use.
The survey found that 24% of 6-year-olds had a smartphone — and only 28% of parents used parental controls on their children’s devices.
The survey also found that more than half of parents did not feel confident about teaching their children how to stay safe online.
Alex Cooney, CEO of CyberSafeKids, said the research shows a “worrying gap” between children’s internet use and their parents’ ability to support them to be safe online.
The charity released the survey results on Safer Internet Day on February 6. Begun in the European Union in 2004, this day aims to raise awareness of a “safer and better internet for all.”
On the same day, CyberSafeKids also released a guideline called Better Digital Parenting. It offers advice on things like how to set parental controls on online devices, and says that very young children should never use the internet alone.
However, Cooney believes that parents are not the only ones responsible for keeping children safe online. Schools need to offer online safety education, governments must make stronger regulations, and social media companies should do more to help, she wrote in The Irish Times.
Many social media companies, including X and Facebook, already require users to be at least 13 years old. And last year, the US state of Utah even banned people under 18 from creating social media accounts without their parents’ permission.
However, in 2022, research from UK communications regulator Ofcom found that a third of children aged between 8 and 17 with a social media profile had their age set to 18 or over.
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on CyberSafeKids’ findings?
3. Do you imagine a lot of 6-year-olds in your country own a smartphone?
4. Would you feel confident teaching a kid how to stay safe online?
5. At what age do you think young children should be allowed to use the internet by themselves?
6. Do you agree that online safety education should be offered at schools?
7. How old were you when you got your first smartphone?
8. How much time do you spend on your phone? Has this changed over time?
9. Do you try to limit the amount of time you spend online?
10. Do you think you’d find it easy to give up your smartphone for a month?
11. We take better care of our smartphones than we do of ourselves. — Arianna Huffington. What are your thoughts on this quote?
Lesson-17
Writing by Hand May Improve Brain Connectivity
When you need to remember something, do you write it down on paper?
Probably not — it’s a lot more likely you’d just type a note on your phone, right?
For years, new technology from computers to tablets has been replacing writing by hand. In 2016, Finland even stopped teaching cursive writing in schools to teach typing instead.
But is our move away from writing by hand affecting our brains?
A new study says it might be. Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology asked 36 university students to write down information using either a digital pen or a keyboard.
They also looked at the students’ electrical brain activity, and found that their brain connectivity patterns were much more elaborate when writing by hand than when using a keyboard. Past research has found that this connectivity is key to helping the brain make memories and record new information.
The researchers say the combination of both seeing information and feeling the movement of the body may encourage brain connectivity, and help us learn.
One of the researchers, Audrey van der Meer, told PsyPost that forming letters by hand also helps children learn the difference between very similar letters like “b” and “d,” because their bodies get to feel what it’s like to make the shapes.
The researchers say that although it’s important to teach children how to use new technology, it’s also important for them to keep learning how to write by hand.
But it’s also important to know what type of writing is best for what situation.
“There is some evidence that students learn more and remember better when taking handwritten lecture notes, while using a computer with a keyboard may be more practical when writing a long text or essay,” van der Meer said.
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on the study’s findings?
3. How often do you write by hand these days?
4. Did you prefer to type or write out notes when you were a student?
5. Do schools in your country focus on handwriting?
6. Do you think handwriting will eventually be obsolete?
7. How neat is your handwriting?
8. How quickly can you type?
9. What do you do when you need to remember something?
10. Did you have any strategies for remembering things as a student?
11. Did you enjoy writing assignments as a student?
Lesson-18
The Advantages of Being an Introvert
Personalities are complicated things, but one way to think about them is to consider if a person is an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert.
Introverts need lots of time alone, and often find being around people to be exhausting. They’re very independent and sometimes described by others as “quiet.” They usually spend a lot of time thinking and take more time to make decisions.
Extroverts are the opposite – they get energy from being with other people and don’t like being alone. They enjoy being the center of attention and usually make decisions quickly. Ambiverts are the most common personality type, and are a mixture of the two other types.
Some people may think that introverts are shy or lonely, but actually, being an introvert can have its advantages. Here are some examples, according to Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength.
Introverts often notice things that others don’t. While others are busy talking, introverts are more likely to notice things like body language, expressions, and small details that others might miss.
Introverts are often better listeners than extroverts because they’re less likely to interrupt before a person has finished speaking. And because introverts like to think carefully about things, they’re more likely to listen to everything a person has to say before they respond.
While introverts may find being with other people exhausting, that doesn’t mean they don’t have or want friends. Instead, it means they choose their friends and romantic partners very carefully, and are very loyal and supportive towards those people they do bring into their lives.
Introverts can also be great leaders. Because introverts don’t like being the center of attention, they’re less likely to take all the credit for successes. Because they’re good listeners, they get to know the people they are leading very well, and can help them do good work.
Lesson-19
35% in Japan Expect Never to Travel Abroad Again
In 2022, international travel became easier as COVID-19 restrictions ended, and some people couldn’t wait to go abroad.
But a survey from the summer of 2022 found that in Japan, 35% of people expected never to travel abroad again.
That number was much higher than for any other country included in a study by data company Morning Consult. In South Korea, 15% of people said they expected never to travel again, while it was 6% in Germany.
Travel restrictions for people entering and leaving Japan were still in place that summer, but according to CNN , it shouldn’t be a surprise that so many Japanese people aren’t thinking about foreign vacations.
For one thing, some figures suggest that only around a quarter of people in Japan have a passport, even though a Japanese passport has been called the world’s most powerful.
Japanese travelers can enter more countries than anyone else without getting a visa before leaving home.
However, some have said that the pandemic is to blame for Japanese attitudes to foreign travel, as it’s made people worry more about getting sick while abroad.
Travel expert Kotaro Toriumi told CNN that when people feel the pandemic is really over, they may be happier to travel internationally again.
Money may also be a problem for Japanese travelers. The yen is weaker than it has been for a number of years and many younger workers are not paid as much as in the past.
Although Toriumi added that with people not planning foreign trips, they have begun to realize how much there is to see in their own country.
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on the findings of this report?
3. Do you find it surprising that only a quarter of people in Japan have a passport?
4. Do you expect Japanese attitudes to foreign travel to change in the near future?
5. Have you traveled abroad since the start of the pandemic?
6. Have you done much traveling within your country since the pandemic began?
7. Do you have any travel plans for this year?
8. Where did you spend your last vacation? What made you want to go there?
9. Would you say that you still have plenty to explore in your own country?
10. What countries are at the top of your bucket list?
11. Do you know many people who have never been abroad?
Lesson-20
Japan’s Favorite: The Story of the Kei Car
In Japan there’s a special class of small vehicle called kei-jidosha, which is Japanese for “light automobile.”
Called “kei cars” in English, these small vehicles are perfect for driving in Japanese towns and cities, which often have narrow roads and little space for parking.
And they’re cheap. A new kei car can be bought for under $10,000, which is about a fifth of the average price of a new car in the US.
Because kei cars are lighter, they’re more fuel efficient too, and their owners also benefit from lower taxes and insurance costs.
The kei-jidosha class was created in 1949 by the Japanese government, which believed it would allow more people to buy cars and help the Japanese economy.
Restrictions on the size of these vehicles and their engines meant they could be made and sold cheaply.
At first they were only allowed to have very small engines, but in the 1950s larger engine sizes were allowed — and this paved the way for the Subaru 360. Nicknamed the “Ladybug,” it was Japan’s first popular car.
Today, kei cars are still popular, and make up 40% of the cars driven in Japan. The bestselling car in Japan is the Honda N-Box, a kei car. And the country’s bestselling electric vehicle is a kei car too: the Nissan Sakura.
However, while there are some overseas fans of kei class vehicles who like to import them, Japanese carmakers don’t usually try to sell these cars in other countries.
One of the biggest reasons for this is that kei cars usually don’t meet local safety rules, which are often stricter overseas. And because of their size, some worry that, in a crash with a larger vehicle, passengers in a kei car will not be well protected.
However, Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, recently called for Europe to adopt policies like those in Japan to create a European version of the kei car!
1. Summarize the content of the article.
2. What are your thoughts on the story of the kei car?
3. Do you know anyone who owns a kei car?
4. Are kei cars a common sight in your town or city?
5. What’s the smallest car you’ve ever been in?
6. Do you think a European version of the kei car would be popular?
7. Have a discussion based on the following questions.
8. Do you drive? If so, what kind of car do you have?
9. What factors would you prioritize if you were buying a new car?
10. What are the most popular car makers where you live?
11. Have big cars become more popular in your country in recent years?
12. How do you think car design will change over the next 20 years?