Sergei's English Class
Oct 14, 2020
Lesson 2/10 60 Min
Hi Sergei,
How food bots and automation are changing the food supply chain.
For more discussion:
‘Why don't pilots fly over
Tibet? You can tell me about it
And, have you heard of the Russian website called AirPano which takes 360 degree panoramic pictures and videos
from around the world? This is arm-chair tourism!
Oct 7, 2020
Lesson 1/10 60 Min
Hi Sergei,
We'll talk about the man spending billions on old hits:
Merck Mercuriadis
Jay Z restarts music streaming brand
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1504/150404-jay-z.html
Wikipedia on Jay Z and Tidal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay-Z#Business_career
Oct 1, 2020
Lesson 10/10 60 Min
Hi Sergei,
Today from the news: Airbus goes zero-emission!
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2009/200924-zero-emission-aircraft.html
Quizlet
‘Some people don’t want to fly’: Covid-19 reawakens Europe’s sleeper trains
Sept 17, 2020
Lesson 9/10 60 Min
Hi Sergei,
This time, our FT article concerns quick loans for Mexican Businesses during this pandemic.
More about Mexico's economy from BNE:
Sept 15, 2020
Lesson 8/10 60 Min
Hello Sergei!
Today our topic is weddings!
Have your heard about online weddings in NY during the lockdown?
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2004/200423-online-wedding.html
https://quizlet.com/504508467/new-york-allows-online-lockdown-weddings-flash-cards/?new
And we'll discuss a mass wedding in S.Korea.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2002/200211-mass-wedding.html
. the members of the wedding party:
. the cost of the average wedding: $27,000
. wedding registries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridal_registry
Sept 4, 2020
Lesson 7/10 60min
Hello Sergei!
Today our tedtalk concerns Wikipedia.
https://www.ted.com/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia/transcript
https://www.wikipedia.org/
https://www.wikimedia.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wikis
1. Did you know much about the origin of Wikipedia before this tedtalk?
2. Do you use Wikipedia? What's your opinion of it?
3. Is there something similar in Russia?
4. Were you surprised to hear Wales describing Wikipedia as "radical"?
5. Their mission is to put an encyclopedia in the hands of each person?
6. Comment on their neutrality policy.
7. And I also admire the democratic operation of their website.
8. Do you think this trend for free access to information will be short-lived or does it have a future? Why?
9. Were you surprised that they have only one employee and monthly budget of $5000?
10. They operate with 600 to 1,000 volunteers. What's your reaction to this?
11. I was surprised that only 1/3 of the searches were in European languages.
12. Does this article change your view of Wikipedia?
Speaking of encyclopedias/dictionaries, are you familiar with the following?
Merriam Webster Visual Dictionary
http://www.visualdictionaryonline.com/
Visuwords
https://visuwords.com/talky
Reverso Dictionary
https://dictionary.reverso.net/
Your Dictionary.com
http://www.yourdictionary.com
There are some lawsuits filed against universities by parents because of the interrupted spring semester 2020 and because of the online instruction in the fall of 2020, too.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/04/13/students-say-online-classes-arent-what-they-paid
Aug 31, 2020
Lesson 6/10 60 Min
Hello Sergei!
Today we'll talk about airplanes!
First, the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1903/190316-boeing-max.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737_MAX
Then, we'll discuss the end of the Airbus A380.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1902/190216-airbus-a380.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A380
And, the business plan of SpaceX to include travel on Earth.
Aug 23, 2020
Lesson 5/10 60 Min
Hi Sergei,
Keeping up with technology: what managers and executives should know.
Then, we can discuss a business practice by airlines which has been revealed by a whistleblower. It's called fuel tankering.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1911/191113-fuel-tankering.html
Aug 16, 2020
Lesson 4/10 60 Min
Hello Sergei!
Today our Guardian lesson concerns the fortune a man found at the charity shop when he bought a small book!
And from BNE, a second-hand shop owner in Oklahoma found a treasure that
belonged to the Russian czars!
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1403/140322-faberge-egg.html
Faberge, Wikipedia
Aug 7, 2020
Lesson 3/10 60 Min
Hello Sergei!
The troubling truth about selfies with sloths.
And, from BNE, how the pandemic can affect the illegal trade in wildlife.
Aug 2, 2020
Lesson 2/10 60 Min
Hello Sergei!
Today, we'll discuss Banksy's grafitti art:
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1404/140419-banksy.html
His life and some of his art:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy
A sad look at air pollution:
https://www.ecowatch.com/banksy-mural-air-pollution-2624042811.html
Banksy doesn't sell his art:
https://www.quora.com/How-does-Banksy-sell-his-art
But, he has a website and an Instagram:
https://pestcontroloffice.com/
https://www.instagram.com/banksy/
Banksy's visit to New York:
Many examples of Banksy's art:
Doctors in Canada are prescribing art to help patients feel better!
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1810/181028-art-therapy.html
Quizlet
https://quizlet.com/410396405/canada-doctors-using-art-to-treat-patients-level-2-flash-cards/?funnelUUID=a850ea1c-c4e7-4cb3-bb26-7006f94f81df
July 25, 2020
Lesson 1/10 60 Min
Hello Sergei!
Here's a tedtalk by an unusual curator who sometimes returns artifacts held by his museum!
https://www.ted.com/talks/chip_colwell_why_museums_are_returning_cultural_treasures/transcript#t-769742
From Breaking News English, a similar topic: Egypt and Greece are calling for the return of ancient artifacts.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1004/100408-ancient_treasures.html
1. Colwell calls ancient objects magical and able to take us beyond our imaginations. What do ancient objects mean to you?
2. He tells us about countries and nations which demand the return of their ancient artifacts. Tell about any such cases you have heard about.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon_(Nashville)
3. Some objects are considered sacred to some peoples such as the War Gods of the Zunis. Can you give examples of other sacred objects in the world and how it would be to take them away?
4. Colwells asks, "What should a curator do?" What do you think they should do?
5. He also asks, "Are museums good?" What's your answer?
6. Do you know the "dark history" of museums that Colwell refers to?
7. Did you know that Native Americans have been especially hurt by having the skeletons of their ancestors taken away? How do you feel about this?
8. I think about our Orthodox Chrisitianity which venerates the relics/bones of the saints. What do you think about the relics of Saint Nicholas received by the Russian Orthodox Church? Do you know that Turkey sued the government of Italy to have the relics of Saint Nicholas returned to the city of Myra (a Greek city during the Byzantine period) because Italian Crusaders had stolen them? Thank God the Turks lost this case!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3W4htavpAo
9.Colwell wants to plant seeds of hope and reconciliation between museums and those wronged by them. How did he do it?
10. What role can virtual museums and collections like Google Arts and Culture play in resolving these disputes?
11. What role can technology play in creating a compromise?
12. Did you like this ted talk?